Kung Fu Panda: Light and Shadow
by Rabenkopf
Summary: This is the Sequel to "Tai Lung The Journey"
1. Prolog

**So this16 is the sequel to "Tai Lung – The Journey". When15 you want23 to know9 everything from this12 story you need to12 read it. **

**"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation**

**I own1 nothing except16 for the written16 word.**

**Characters5 you don't know are from1 me. **

**The quotation is from18 "The Forbidden Kingdom"**

* * *

"**As One tale ends…**

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Prolog**

It is a glorious view.

The Greatest Kung Fu School of all china is expending in front of me: The Sun Wukong School for Martial Arts.

It is such an adequate feeling to sit here and look at the pupils training in front of me. It is said that tomorrows heroes are coming from this school. My school. The school, which was founded centuries ago by one of the greatest heroes of all times: Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.

And like he was a hero many of his pupils and many of their pupils, who were taught here, became heroes.

I remember still my younger days, when I was called a hero.

With my twin brother we traveled through china and did good deeds. We were called the Sun Brothers. We rescued people, princesses – and even one prince – defeated bandit gangs, won in battles and brought peace.

Battles…

On one of these battles my brother died. The Battle at the Sunset it is called today. My brother and I against a whole army. I survived because of him. He was always the greater of us two.

And now I am the master of this school, which our ancestor had founded.

So many pupils are in front of me. So many….They are the future. The future of the heroes as well as of Kung Fu. Why is it so, that old people always begin to think about the old times, when they see the future?

I breathe in and out.

The Sun was setting already.

"Li Sai.", I call to my son in front of me.

He is like me a silver-haired monkey with red surrounded black eyes and a pink mouth. Our ears were standing out and our black hands and feet were furless. Different from me his fur didn't form a magnificent moustache and his fur was darker then my silver-grey. He is standing several stairs lower than me.

"Master.", he addressed me proper and bowed his head.

"It is late. Let's call it a day. Send the pupils to prepare dinner." I say to him.

"Yes, master." he replies with another bowing. Then he turns back and goes to the pupils.

I use my staff to lift myself. Oh my old bones. Good that it is still tolerable.

I take the stairs upwards to the main building of the School: The Sanctuary of Sun Wukong.

I open the closed gate and enter it. The ground is completely out of white marble, the pillars which are holding the roof up are out of bluish stone with azurite spread in a whirl in it.

But although for someone like me, who knows this place, it is noticeable, for everyone new here it all fades cause of the statue: A golden Statue of Sun Wukong, like he is standing with his staff ready for guarding the weak. It is almost 10 times my size and expends till the roof.

In front of the statue is his staff, which had endured the time. It was made out of a blue-greenish metal, which is as strong as steel, but didn't rust. And it is said that it has magical powers, although neither I nor my brother nor some of my ancestors could find out like it worked.

Beside the staff were several other relics from the so many heroes, who were taught here. There is the shell of the Armored Turtle, the lance of the Never-loosing Crane, the flute of the Singing Croc and many others. Only the collection of the Jade Palace is comparable with this collection.

I stop in front of a staff. It is normal not so magnificent like the others, but still the most magnificent of all. This was the staff of my brother. I take an incense stick, inflame it, knee down and pray.

It so long ago, but it still hurts.

"_When the greatest Warrior falls,…"_

I hear something. From where?

"_The dragon will rise to take his place."_

There is a melody. This melody. I stand up.

"_The Dragon will encounter big crisis,_

_when Light and Shadow will arise."_

It is this melody. I know it. I look around. From where is coming this melody.

"_The Light is blind to see his road;_

_the Shadow sees his road but takes the wrong."_

I see it. In front of Sun Wukongs statue and staff is someone sitting. A dark figure.

"_Will they change their course?_

_Or will they change the face of the world?_

_Will the city of the Star rise back again?_

_Or Will the Dragon fall?"_

I go to the figure. This can't be.

"_Maybe the world will be a darker place?_

_Maybe the world will be a brighter place?_

_Or will it be the Dragon's place?"_

"Who are you?" I yell at the figure,"What are you doing in these sacred halls? Only dignified Masters of this School are allowed to enter it. Justify yourself immediately!"

The melody has ended. The figure is moving and stands up.

"I always thought…" it begins. This voice. It can't be!

"…that members of the family are allowed to enter this hall." the figure says and turns around to me.

No…

"You!" I shout.

"Me.", he replies.

"What are you doing here?" I demand to know.

"Visiting home."

"That is not your home anymore! It is forbidden for you to enter this School forever!"

"Oh that hurts, father."

Yes it is him! No doubts. My first son Sun Tian Yi. He is also a monkey, but his fur changed. Once it was silver-grey like my, but now I see that his fur was black.

"What happened to you?" I ask him not believing how he changed. He wears a black silken suit.

"What happened with me? I thought you want that I disappear immediately, or not?" he says spiteful.

He chuckles. He is so different from earlier. Which path did you go, son?

"You should. I call for Li Sai."

"Oh don't make yourself trouble." he says and then turns to the closed gate. How did he enter it?

"Boys!" he yells and the gate is opened. Three persons enter: Two Rhinos in black armor and a third person, which is held by them. In the narrow light I can still detect, that it is Li Sai.

They throw him between me and him.

"Li Sai!" I yell, go and knee down to him. He is still breathing. Thank Gods.

"What have you done to your own brother?" I say while I turn to him again.

"Oh no worries. He still breathes. I need him alive." he says arrogantly, dismisses his guards and turns around to the stature again.

I stand up. I wait until they close the gate again, but I get interrupted by him: "Do you know it still?"

"What?" I ask honestly surprised.

"This melody." he tells me and turns back, "Uncle Mato sang it always."

I hesitate. "Of course I know." I admit.

"Then you can say the last phrase."

"Why should I?"

"Tell it!" This was not a request, but an order.

"Why should I?" I reply defiantly.

He hides his face behind a hand. I sense the change of atmosphere. I lift my staff.

But then he disappears. I look around. Where is he?

Then a kick hits me. Argh! It is so strong that I fly away. I hit the gate and open it in this way. At the end I land crushing on the stairs.

Ahhh….My old bones. What was that?

I look around.

No…

The pupils of the school. They were there. Beaten. Hurt. On their knees. Dependent on the mercy of the soldiers behind them. They seemed to be a mix out of all cultures and species. I see rhinos, gorillas, wolves, lions, tigers, crocodiles and many more.

I am shocked. How could all this happen, while I was praying?

"Say it!" my former son demanded from me, when he left the Sanctuary.

I stand up. Argh. My arm. It seems broken.

"Never!" I reply with as much strength as I still have.

Then someone grabs me by my broken arm. I yell.

It is a Lion. A big lion with a golden mane. He wears a silken suit but in gold and not black like my son.

"The master demanded something from you!" he yells at me with a cold voice.

"Adum let him go." First I don't know from whom this voice is coming. I look to the direction only to see Tian Yi. This voice was so cold, that it had run my blood cold.

The Lion let me go and sink down on his knee.

"I am sorry, master."

Tian Yi steps to him. "I said you already that you shouldn't dare to do another mistake, Adum." And then he kicks him. The big lion flies further than I earlier. From where he has this strength?

Tian Yi turns to me. He smiles.

"Afraid of me, father?"

I admit that my face shows something after seeing his incredible strength.

"No, only pitiful. What had happened to you?"

"Only the right thing.", and then he grabs me by my throat.

I can't….breathe.

He lifts me up.

"It is so pitiful that you don't want to say it. Then I need to do it."

Then without a warning he throws me up. After a short while I am so high that I can see the School below me and feel the fresh wind like it surrounds me.

Then I see like he reappears out of shadows and land a kick into my stomach. I travel back to mother earth and land hard on the ground.

The pain is ineffable.

I am close to losing consciousness.

He lands on my belly.

"´That decides Fate`.", he ends the prophecy.

And I died.

…**another begins."**


	2. Desert

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter I:** Desert

I would have never guessed that I would do this one day. But I truly say without shame:

"Waaaateeeer." and my voice is no more than a whisper.

For days we are already in this damn desert. And since the morning the water was almost all. My tongue had forgotten the way back to my mouth.

I plead again:

"Waaaateeeer.",

"Ah shut up, Cien." Tai Lung mutters beside me, "Stop whining."

He also doesn't look very healthy.

This is so hot here. Why is it so hot in a desert?

I even undressed my jacket and am going only in my vest. Okay. I have black fur and a black vest and black pants. And my father said to me, that the black color is storing the heat better than brighter things, but still…

"Why is it so hot?"

"I said shut up, Cien. When you are talking about this I must….Damn I think already about this. Thank you, now I am thirsty also."

I try to chuckle, but it stops at my throat. I can't even laugh anymore.

The Hell is frozen. And the Devil makes his forced vacation here by us.

"When you are so thirsty then make something useful. Look if we still have water." Tai Lung mutters to me and his voice is croaking also already.

I rattle. "And stop this nonsense!" I wonder that he can still shout.

I breathe out loudly and turn around.

I and Tai Lung are on a dune; in the opposite of this the others were still at the bottom to it. We are not a big group: We as the vanguard, Feng Sheng the duck, the owner of this "Caravan", two gorillas as his guard and two camel carriers, who had the luck to carry the merchant's goods.

Ok the goods which he still had. He was on a run. Sort of. And that is the reason why he hadn't planned enough water for our tour through the desert. This jerk!

"I think that we haven't even a water drop anymore." I mutter.

"And why is it so?" Tai Lung asks and is panting like me.

"Even the camel guys are panting with their tongues out."

"DOH….Let's make a rest. Until they reach us."

And so we made a rest on this hot sand of the dune. I look around. Sand in this direction. Sand in that direction. An Oasis there. And sand…..

What!

I look back. Really!

"Water!" I yell.

"Stop whining I said!" Tai Lung replies to me still annoyed.

"No. There!", and I remember that Tai Lung's eyesight isn't the best, "There is water!"

"What! Where?"

"Follow me!" I yell and run the dune down.

After the first steps I trip and land in the sand. Before I roll down the dune. And end up with the head in the hot sand.

I try to speak without much success.

Then I am lifted by my foot and see Tai Lung's serious face upside down.

"Where is the water?" he demands to know.

I look around and see it again. "There!" I say and point out. He drops me.

"Where?"

I can stand up again. "You are blinder than I thought." I mutter and run again in the direction of the oasis.

It is so close. I can see already the palms, the bushes, and the small lake in it. A wonder!

When I am at the edge of the lake, I jump in.

Yeah this wet feeling….

Wait a minute.

This is hot. This is boiling. In my mouth!

I spit it out and see sand. Hot Sand was in my mouth! Ahh!

My tongue is burned!

Where is the water? The palms? The bushes?

"So where is it?" Tai Lung says after he reaches me panting.

"I don't know. It was here!" I wanted to say, but this get out:

"I dt no. Is wo hi!"

"What?" Tai Lung asks me.

I can't speak!

"I ct sk!" was my answer.

"Where is it? Where is the water?" Feng Sheng demands to know after he reached us.

Tai Lung turns to him. "No water. But Cien said he saw something. But now he mutters something intelligible."

Feng Sheng turns to me. "You idiot! That was a Fata Morgana!" he says to me.

"What is this?" Tai Lung wants to know.

"An illusion. This comes out, when someone is too long in the sun."

"Ilsien?" I mutter and can't believe it. How my mind could be tricked so easily?

After a while Tai Lung says: "This comes out, when someone don't plan enough water for a tour through this desert."

"Do you want to quarrel with me?" the duck responds more aggressive than I am accustomed to.

"Yeah, I want to! How can an experienced merchant like you not think about enough water for a tour through the desert?", now Tai Lung gets angry as well. Ok by him it is nothing unusual.

"I had planned enough water!" corrected Feng Sheng.

"And why do we have nothing anymore?"

"Because….Because…" Feng Sheng stammers, if he had remembered something.

"Yeah?"

"This is…not the road I wanted to take.", somehow he got weak again. Now the world seems to be all right again.

"What? What do you mean with ´not the road you wanted to take`?" Tai Lung asks in a surprised manner.

"Eh, we…took a road….which I…don't know…" Feng Sheng stammers scared.

Now someone can see Tai Lungs anger rather good in his face.

"So, we are lost?" he asks almost exploding.

"Eh…." more the duck didn't bring out, when Tai Lung grabbed his smaller throat.

"You idiot! How could you do this?"

This was not good. This can end rather badly. I want to go between them.

"Sp!" I say with my still burned tongue. Tai Lung doesn't hear me, but instead shakes the duck.

"Stp!" I demand again and try to grab Tai Lungs shoulder.

Before I achieve this Tai Lung throws the duck. This one lands with his bill in the middle of the sand.

In front of someone's feet.

I and Tai Lung look up.

In front of us was the most gorgeous vixen I have ever seen.

She had red-brownish fur, a peaky mouth with a greenish cute nose, deep blue eyes and a thick scarlet-brownish Sideswept Bang, which was hiding her eyes partially. She wore a sand color cloak and hood over black clothes.

I would have said Wow, but out came only hot air.

"We are surrounded." Tai Lung says and that is the first time I look around. He is right. Everywhere were more of these sand guys and I think also females.

But my look came back to her.

"Well, Well, what we have here." she says and even her voice sounds gorgeous. Somehow it fits, that my tongue isn't in the mouth anymore again.

"Guards! Guards!" yells Feng Sheng, but it is useless.

"I don't think they hear you, ducky. They sleep and this without our help." she says to him.

"Cien, prepare yourself." Tai Lung whispers to me and I feel like he is going into battle posture.

I don't even think about this.

"Well guys you have Two choices: Either you surrender and we give you water or you fight and force us to beat you up and handcuff you. You choose." she says.

The choice was obvious.

"We sreder!" I yell and fall on my knees, raising my arms in capitulation manners.

I think all are a little surprised, because it last a while until I hear a reaction.

"Cien, you idiot." Tai Lung says, before he gives up also.

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.

Characters you don't know are from me.


	3. Peach Tree

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter II:** Peach Tree

It is long ago since I was here last time. The Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom and its smaller brother right beside him.

The last time I was here, before I and the Furious Five went out for fighting Lord Shen.

Lord Shen….

And I am here because of him again.

I sit down at the tree and look down.

No one said that it would be so hard.

I couldn't convince him.

And he died.

And when I first started to think about him, I couldn't stop myself and think about Tai Lung as well.

What happened with him?

Is he also dead?

And is it again my fault? Because I couldn't stop him otherwise?

I am not like the heroes in the stories I heard.

I am a murderer.

Twice.

How good it would be to have someone with whom I could talk about it.

Shifu would say probably some wise sentence, which I wouldn't understand and more important wouldn't help me even a little.

My dad? He doesn't know like it is.

Tigress? Maybe she would try to help somehow, but at the end she can't change facts. No one can.

….

Thinking about this is useless.

I look up.

From here I can see the whole Jade Palace in its glory. Also the stairs my old enemy. I chuckle.

Yes thinking about different things would be good. Don't think about this topic and it will be good.

….

About what should I think?

"Po!" I hear Tigress shout coming up the hill.

Oh no! She mustn't know what I am doing here!

I need an excuse!

Think! Think!

The tree…Yeah.

"Po what are you doing here?" she says and reaches me.

I turn around to her and show her my mouth full with some peaches.

She looks at me surprised. I try to mutter to her, but she interrupts me:

"Po, what is going on?"

I spit some of the peaches out, so I can talk more clearly:

"I don't know about what are you talking."

"Po, since we got back from Gongmen City, you were hiding from us. What is going on?"

I hesitate. Should I say her?

The decision is taken away from me:

"Po, Tigress! There you are!" Crane comes flying, "We need to hurry. Someone is destroying a tavern in a village not far away. And he seems to be a Kung Fu fighter."

"Where?" Tigress asks right away.

"Follow me."

So this can wait.

There is something to do for the Dragon Warrior.

A different topic to think about.

I and Tigress follow him.

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.

Characters you don't know are from me.


	4. In the Cave

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter III:** In the Cave

Damn Desert. Damn Cien.

When I wouldn't be so weak cause of my thirst….

When Cien hadn't given up from the beginning….

We would be able to beat these guys in matter of seconds.

…..

DOH!

Now we are brought somewhere. They had hid our heads with sacks and chained our wrists. So much for their two choices. But the Top of the humiliation is that they are pulling me on a rope like a common slave.

I am Tai Lung! One of the greatest warriors of all times! And I am pulled like a common slave.

What a shame!

At least they don't know that I can see despite the sack. So I still know where we are going. He he…

Dune up.

Dune down.

Dune up.

Dune down.

Now this desert must be only a little bit different.

At the end we climb up a mountain or at least something, which is high and out of stone.

We enter something like a cave and are thrown in one corner of it.

There they take the sacks from our heads.

Our whole little group is here now, while these bandits are ransacking Feng Sheng's goods. Luckily they gave us some water before this.

"No! What are you doing? My goods!" Feng Sheng complains but without much effect.

"Psst! Hey Cien, do you hear me?" I whisper to Cien.

"I hear you very good Tai Lung.", he responds whispering back to me.

"Good. Then you can maybe explain why you have surrendered?"

"I have my reasons."

I notice that he isn't changing his view. He looks the whole time on the same spot.

I look there and see this Vixen, seemingly the Leader of these bandits.

But this can't be.

I look back to Cien.

And then to her.

And then to Cien again.

He is staring at her!

I try to focus my eyesight a little.

His face is one of an amorous old goat!

"Cien, you are not seriously…?" I begin to ask.

"What am I?" he asks me without looking at me.

"This Vixen?" I point out.

"Isn't she gorgeous?" he says and his voice is the same like his face.

"Oh no, you haven't done this or do you?"

I still can't believe it! He is really in love!

Before I can talk further, we get interrupted through this Vixen.

"Too much you don't have with you, boys. What a pity."

"What you savaged there were the last things, which still belonged to me! You damn bandits!" Feng Sheng states very angry.

She looks at him.

She observes him.

"Hey, boys bring me the bounty list!" she yells back to the others.

I hear like Feng Sheng is gulping.

After a short while she has some sheets of papers in the hand. She compares them with Feng Sheng.

It doesn't last long and she had found what she had searched for.

"Ah, you are truly this guy.", she says grinning evilly.

"I…I don't know….about what…you are talking about." Feng Sheng stammers.

"You know very well, duck. I must admit that I imagined the man, who had messed up the princess of Tara Torang a little bigger."

"I didn't mess up her! She wanted it as well as me!"

"Yeah, then you can explain, why you are on the run and one of the biggest bounties I have ever seen is on your head. Dead or alive even. You had to make the King very angry. He he."

So this is the reason for his overhasty escape.

I must admit, that I haven't thought about such a reason.

"I think that you are much more worth that these whole goods you have there."

Feng Sheng seems to be still a little angry, but he shuts his mouth.

Now she looks at us.

"So who we have here…" she begins, but gets interrupted by Cien: "Only your loyal servants, gorgeous of the gorgeous."

"What?" the Vixen says completely surprised.

I can only shake my head.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. You must be a princess."

She smiles and chuckles right after.

"When you think, because of this you can manipulate me, that you are wrong." she brings out amused.

"I tell only the truth, princess. I'd like to know your beautiful name, so that I can worship you even more."

Now she begins to laugh. Even her men are laughing already.

Cien, you idiot.

"He he, you are very amusing, Panther. And I am ready to tell you my name." she tries to imitate noble manners, "My name is Ryukitsune Aijna. But you can call me the Desert Fox."

"My Highness, I am only a poor and common panther from the west and not worth to look in your sparkling and beautiful eyes."

This begins to be a comedy show, because some of these guys can't stop laughing anymore.

"You are elegant, Panther, but this changes nothing. I will sell you to the slavery. I bet some noble hostess will be more than happy to have you."

What slavery?

"Not enough that I am treated like a slave, now you want to sell me also!" I start to yell.

"Hey, Tai shut up.", Cien whispers to me.

"I am not shutting up! I have enough of this treatment!" I object and try to break my chains.

Luckily I had time to rest and water.

But before I have broken them, everywhere around my throat are blades.

I stop.

The Vixen steps in front of me and I sense that she is inspecting me.

My eyes are the whole time open, but I hope that no one can see that my eyesight is bad.

Still she comes close enough to my face, that I can see her precisely.

…I must admit, that Cien has at least some taste.

Then her drilling look changes into something, which is similar to surprise coupled with fear.

"That can't be…" she mutters, while she steps back.

"What is it? Something frightening seen?" I say with an intimidating voice.

"You…You are…Tai Lung.", she mutters.

Somehow I feel proud that she recognizes me.

"The most feared Kung Fu Warrior of all times. But I thought the Dragon Warrior had killed you."

"Like you can see I am only a little thirsty, but otherwise completely healthy.", then I have an idea, "I give you three seconds to free me, when not…"

This idea is given up, when the blades are so close that they cut me almost.

"I have the most feared Kung Fu Warrior in my hands…", this time I hear amusement and no respect or fear like before, "I bet, that the Wardens of Chorh-Gom Prison will pay every price for you.", she comes one step closer, "I heard that they got unemployed, because of you until one of them became crazy. I bet that they still want to punish you for this."

It is not such a great situation to have this prison again in prospect.

"And how do you think you bring me there? I broke the best secured chains of the world and you have only chained my wrists.", and I add, "And I don't think that you are able to have these swords in front of my throat for the whole time."

"No, I believe also that this will not be possible." she admits.

"Hah, then what will you do?"

I feel myself as the winner.

"This."

And she hits my back of the head with the hilt of her sword and I see darkness again.

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.

Characters you don't know are from me.

I don't think that I will update twice a day soon again.


	5. Drunken Monkey

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter IV:** Drunken Monkey

We are running as fast as we can to the tavern.

I must admit that I thought it would be closer. The sun is already setting.

In the far I hear loud noise already.

"We are almost there!" Tigress shouts.

And there it is. A small village built on a river. And the noise is coming evidently from the center.

As we enter the village, there are several people out and surrounding one building.

"Thank Gods, the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior are here!" a goose shouts, after he noticed us.

We get surrounded by the people.

"Please help us to chase away this hooligan!" a pig says.

"Before he destroys the whole village!" a goat adds.

"All right!" I say and want to go to the building already, when Tigress stops me.

"Is he alone? Is everyone out of the building?" Tigress asks a goat.

"He is alone. An old monkey, but as strong as several people. He must know Kung Fu. Only the host is still in there."

With this said Tigress let's me go. Before we can enter the tavern, a table crashes through the window right beside the door. We hear shouts:

"More wine!"

We enter the tavern.

The rather small room is like on a battlefield. Tables, chairs, windows, cups, bottles and more is lying broken. This is not a place where you can relax a little.

In front of the bar is a silver-black haired monkey. He wears pants and a shirt in complete white.

He shouts at the pig host, who is hiding behind the bar: "I said more wine!"

"Hey stop this!" Viper yells at the monkey. He turns around to us.

This can't be…

"This is Sun Li Sai!" I exclaim.

"Who?" Monkey asks me.

"The son of the legendary Sun Tai Hozi! A Kung Fu Master of legendary status, who won the battles against the…" I wanted to explain exactly, but Crane interrupts me, "Watch out!"

I and the others can still dodge, when a table is coming rushing at us.

"Get away here! I have business to do with this pig!" Li Sai says in a drunken manner.

"Not important who he is, we must stop him, before he hurts someone!" Tigress shouts.

We attack him.

He gets in an odd battle posture. His back is as high as hump and his fists are close by to his upper body. His forefingers are splayed as well as his thumbs and are forming a shape, which resembles holding a cup. And he is staggering.

Attacking him was easier said than done. The small room doesn't allow us to attack him simultaneously and he can easily dodge our attacks although it looks like he is too drunk to even move straight. But more problematic is that he can't dodge only, but counterattack us without much effort.

When I try to attack him, he is hitting me very fast with small punches. And it hurts, because his forefingers resemble stings.

Then Crane wants to attack him from behind, but he bows down his back and is punching Crane now with the head upside down.

When Crane steps out of his reach, Mantis tries his luck, but Li Sai falls down on the ground flat and stands up with one hand. Then attacks mantis with his fist, while he is jumping with one hand in a pushup manner. Monkey is getting into the attack range as well.

Then he rolls over to a corner and stands up more staggering than earlier.

Viper tries to attack him in the head, while Monkey attacks his foot, but he lifts his foot in time and punches Viper with his fist. Then he attacks monkey with his foot, while this one is trying to roll back.

Then Mantis hits his head and he staggers back, but while falling down on his back, he still kicks Mantis away.

When Tigress wants to attack him, he whirls his legs upwards to kick her away. Then he jumps on his hands and makes a whirl attack with one of his foot so fast that even Tigress can't dodge it.

But she resists the pain and strikes Li Sai down. Then Viper chains him and I try to land on him with my butt.

Ow! He had freed one of his arms and stuck it out like a needle.

Ah this hurts, while this Monkey laughing over me.

"Give up!" Tigress demands, but he can't hear her. Somehow he fainted.

While we are panting the crowd of people, who had observed us, begins to cheer.

We chain him with a rope, while they thank us.

Then we take him back to the Jade Palace.

"I ask myself, why such a famous Master like he was destroying a tavern." I ask out loud.

"Maybe Master Shifu will know." Viper states.

I hope so. Somehow I don't want to fight against Master Li Sai again.

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.

Characters you don't know are from me.


	6. Sword

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter V:** Sword

This whole thing didn't end like I wanted it to end. Damn Tai Lung.

His pride will be his grave once….

Maybe it was also already. What the Gorgeous said…He should be dead?

Note to myself: Ask him about this.

We stayed in the cave until the next morning.

Shortly after I awoke as the first, the Gorgeous came around.

"Feel better?" she asks me.

"As good as it can be, my princess." I answer.

"Don't call me so. I said you should call me Desert Fox."

"I don't think it would do justice to you, my princess."

She makes a face of upset and gets a step closer to me. Her face changes to a more charming type and is close to my, when I feel like she will kiss me in a moment. I close my eyes cause of the anticipation.

Then she chuckles.

I open my eyes and see her further afar with my sword in her hand.

"My sword." I exclaim. It was a longish straight sword in its sheath. Normally I had it above my butt at my waist, because it isn't much longer than the waist's wide.

She draws it. And inspects it. The steel is a mix between white and silver and clean, because it was never drawn until now.

"A rather good made sword for someone like you." she says, "A too good. Don't mind if I keep it?"

"I mind something, my princess. Would you be so gracious to give it back?"

"No.", she says grinning and turns away. The last time I saw her for a while.

Before this they had chained up Tai Lung rather strictly. Only his head had no chains. They had him prepared for the ride.

They had taken a cart, on which they had placed Tai Lung as well as Feng Sheng's goods. We, me as the first, were chained on it and had to run behind it. With exception of the Camel guys, who had the luck to pull the cart.

It was in the middle of the day, when our Sleeping Beauty awoke finally.

"Oh my head…What happened?" he mutters.

"Finally awake, Pussycat?" feels good to use his old nickname again, "You were sent to sleep, and are chained now."

"That…I feel myself. Where are we?"

"On the road to somewhere. Maybe a city."

He breathes out loudly. He looks around and I know that he senses our guards, which are surrounding us. They all are wearing these sandy cloaks and hoods over their complete bodies and something like a corresponding scarf around their mouths. In this way I am not able to see, who is who.

"We are in best company like I sense." he tells after some while.

"Yeah, because of you."

"Me?"

"You have made things worse. In your actual state you are worthless to help us escaping."

"You are planning to escape?" Feng Sheng, who is behind me, wonders.

"You? The amorous old goat? Don't make me laugh!" Tai Lung says almost too loud.

I look around to see, if our company is looking at us. Fortunately not.

"Yeah me. Didn't you have maybe for one second the idea, that it was a role I played there?"

Tai Lung stays quiet. His nose moves oddly.

"For what purpose?"

"For the purpose that they should underestimate us."

He shakes his head. "When you wouldn't have surrendered, we wouldn't be in this situation from the beginning."

"And then what? In a desert, no idea where we are, with as much water these guys had on themselves and finally chased by these guys. Wonderful prospects, when you ask Me.", he keeps silent, when I continue, "You said once that you are the improvising guy. I am the brainy. So next time have a little faith in me and don't ruin everything with your pride."

"My pride?" he sounds a little angry and I expect him to explode in a second. But this isn't happening, while his nose is moving around again. As something was pinching it.

"So this staring and sweet talk had nothing to do with her?"

Damn!

"I admit that it had something to do with her, but it wasn't the main reason."

"Hah! Say everything you want, but I have you. I still can read faces so don't play me for a fool."

"And you? You have never said that you are dead!"

I notice that I got louder. Damn! I hate to lose my cool. The guards are looking at us.

He takes a little time to answer. His nose pinches again. Enough time that the more suspicious guards forget my volume and the others yell only: "Quiet!"

"This is a longer story." Tai Lung whispers to me.

"We have time, when you haven't noticed."

"I would tell it, but this damn smell is distracting me."

"What smell?" I ask surprised.

"This in this bag.", and he points out with his head to a bag right beside him.

"Oh that must be the sulfur." Feng Sheng says behind me.

I turn around to him. "What?"

"This is gunpowder. I wanted to sell it in the west, but then…You know the story."

"Gunpowder?" I ask.

"It's used for fireworks. Explodes with fire." Tai Lung explains.

I think. Hmm…I have an idea.

I look around and whisper then: "I have a plan."

"Which one?" Tai Lung whispers back.

"Can't tell it here. You will see. Have a little faith in me."

"When I could."

"Then have at least a little faith in the fact that I don't want to be sold to slavery."

This he accepts.

Our march last until evening. We arrive in a city, full of clay buildings in a shape of squares.

We stop close to the wall, which is surrounding the city and need to wait.

In the south I see mountains. For the most time of our journey we travelled to the east. Are these maybe the mountains of Tibet? I admit that I only heard about this country.

We wait until the night sets and the bandits pay the guards at the gate to let us in.

We are led to a sandy free space in the middle of this city, where we are squeezed into a corner, while some of these guys are preparing something like a tribune. Two guards are standing in front of us as watchmen and right to them is the cart. Tai Lung lies beside me.

Fortunately the building up of the tribune is interesting the guards more than we.

I overlook the situation. The plan gets details.

Before I can start it, she comes again to us. She has the sword there, where I carry it.

"Not long anymore, before it starts guys."

"An auction? I will never be sold here!" Tai Lung declares.

"Not for you, silly. And not for you ducky. Only for the rest." she looks at me, "Even my admirer."

I grin.

She turns around.

"So how your plan sounds?" Tai Lung mutters to me.

"Have you ever opened a lock?" I ask him.

"Yeah, sort of."

"Then you know what is happening now.", and then I have opened the lock of my chains.

The whole time I stare at the going away Vixen.

I stand up, close the distance between me and the next guard and hit him in his waist. I take his head and throw him against the next guard, who looks in this moment to me surprised.

I run to the cart and take the bag with gunpowder on my back.

"Stop him!" the guards yell and the others in front of me are looking. Even my gorgeous vixen.

I throw the bag between them and the cart and catch fast the next torch.

I throw it into some gunpowder, which had left the bag.

The reaction is rather better than I expected. It explodes in a loud "Boom!"

I get thrown back and my ears are cheeping, but I still stand up.

Wow. Better than to be drunk.

A smoke had formed in the meantime, but I still can stagger to the closer guard.

I beat him up and take the keys, which he had.

With this I stagger to Tai Lung, although my going is stabilizing already.

"Faster!" he demands, while I am opening his locks.

Yeah there are several.

While Tai Lung stands up and I give him the keys, the other guard attacks.

I dodge the attacking spear and Tai Lung grabs him. One punch in the stomach and the guard is K.O.

Tai Lung uses the keys to open the locks of the others.

"Hey Tai, where is she?" I ask him, while trying to see something in the smoke and dust in front of me.

"This is not the time…" he tries to say, but I interrupt him.

"She has my sword! I need it back. No matter the cost."

I look at him with full seriousness in the eyes.

He hesitates and then concentrates. Then he points out and I run into the dust saying "C, ya."

I believe he said also something like "Take care!"

I rush through the dust and not seeing anything.

After a short while I see a silhouette and sneak to it. I see my sword.

I take it and hug her from behind.

"Sadly we must depart now, my princess." I whisper into her ear, while holding her mouth with the other.

She hits me into the belly.

Ouch!

She turns around, ready for a fight, but I step forward fast and kiss her on her lips.

Jackpot!

Before she can hit me again, I step back and disappear grinning in the smoke.

The rest is a normal escape. I leave the smoke as fast as I can through the road I have seen beforehand, although it was rather difficult to find it again. There I can even grab some fabrics, which are used for the stands there. I use it as a bluish cloak. In time because the smoke is disappearing already.

In this way I leave the city. Close by the gate I see like Tai Lung as well as the Gorillas are fighting against the city warden. I join it and we can beat them in time.

"Took some time, what?" Tai Lung mutters to me.

"Yeah.", I say grinning, while thinking about the kiss.

We open the gate and leave the city into the night.

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.

Characters you don't know are from me.

It is longer ago since my last Tuesday update.


	7. Dark Origins

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter VI:** Dark Origins

We brought Master Li Sai back to the Jade Palace.

"This is really him.", says Master Shifu, after he had inspected him.

"So a famous Kung Fu Master has attacked us? Drunken?", Mantis states the obvious. But I still chuckle.

"Boy, boy, I need to eye up the spots, where he had hit Me.", I say excited.

"This is no time for this Panda!" Shifu yells at me, "We need to wake him up.", and begins to shake him. We all are in the Sleeping Hall, in one of the rooms and are sitting around the sleeping monkey.

It takes a while, but at the end, Master Li Sai wakes up. Still a little drunken.

"What….what happened? Where…am I?" he stammers.

"You are in the Jade Palace, Master Li Sai. And what happened, we want to know from you." Shifu states.

"Jade Palace?...Oh Gods thanks." he says and lifts his upper body up.

He is still shaking a little, but his eyes seem to be clearer than earlier. He looks at us and seems unsure. "Is there a reason, why you look so…bad?"

No one of us is very amused. I want to explain it, when someone comes in the way.

"You attacked us in a tavern in a close village, Master Li Sai. With a weird Fighting style." Tigress explains.

"Did I? Then I am sorry. When I am drunk, I can't think straight anymore. When I hurt you, I apologize sincerely."

"For someone who couldn't think straight, you had a hard fist.", Mantis comments.

"Yeah, somehow I am a different person, when I am drunk.", he smiles a little.

Tigress interrupts them. "Ehem, we accept your apologize." Tigress says formally correct.

"But the question is, why were you drunken?" Shifu asks.

The smile of Master Li Sai faints and a very sad face shows itself.

"I remember. The reason for…my condition."

"What reason?" Mantis asks.

Master Li Sai turns around to Master Shifu.

"Master Shifu, Tian Yi is back."

"What!" It is a while since I have seen Master Shifu's face so…unbalanced.

"Tian Yi? This is impossible!" Shifu declares shocked. And a little scared.

"But it is so…." Master Li Sai continues, "….He is back. And he killed my father."

"Master Tai Hozi is dead?" I state shocked.

The greatest Warrior of Kung Fu died? A legendary warrior who became a legend even in the legends? Never! This can't be!

I see the more horrified face of Shifu only on the edge.

The others seem to be also a little shocked, but probably because of Shifu's reaction.

"Eh Master, who is Tian Yi?" Tigress states the question politely after a while.

That is something I want to know also!

Shifu looks at us with a serious face.

"What I will tell you now, can't escape this hall. Understood?"

"Understood, Master.", The Furious Five say in unison. I mutter it shortly after.

"So where should I begin?", Shifu collects his thoughts.

"Maybe with saying that he is my brother. My older brother."

"The first son of Sun Tai Hozi?", I say loud. I have never heard from this and that although I thought I know everything about the Masters Sun.

"Yes. His existence was kept a secret among all the old masters of Kung Fu. To not panic the people. But as fellow Kung Fu Masters you need to know the truth now. Even when it is ugly.", Shifu says before making a break.

"It happened around 50 years ago. In that time I was still a young Kung Fu Warrior under Master Oogway. He was invited to the succession ceremony for the Sun Wukong School of Martial Arts and he took me with him. The son of Master Tai Hozi, Tian Yi, should become the successor. But he didn't appear."

"Why?", Viper asks.

"My brother had hidden himself in this time already for months. Father had sent men to find him, but it was the day of the succession they had found him. In a village not far away of the School.", Li Sai continues.

"So Master Tai Hozi went to bring him back, but Master Oogway decided that all invited masters should go. Maybe he had sensed something already then. We had found the village…And the villagers.", Shifu continues and then stops abruptly. He lowers his head.

"What have you found, master?" Monkey asks.

Shifu lifts his head again and everyone can see grief there. "We found the villagers. But….they…were..different. Alive, but also not." he makes a break again, "This was the first and only time that I have seen Master Oogway angry…..It was horrible."

And then he said it.

And yes he was right. It was horrible. It is indescribable. It is unpronounceable. Somehow my guilty feelings about Shen are laughable against, what I heard now. Every of us six were dumbfounded after we heard this. No one showed a different face than sorrow and shock. We all breathed loudly.

"Who…Who did this?", Tigress was the first who could say something after this, but the horror was written on her face.

"My brother. Isn't it obvious?", Li Sai says also sorrowful.

"Why?...Why?", Viper asks as the next.

"We don't know. And we didn't want to know. We found Tian Yi while doing this. We arrested him and his own father passed the hardest sentence, which is known: Death. But somehow he escaped before executing it. We searched for him and couldn't find him. So we decided that all masters in China should be informed about his wrong doings and keep it a secret. Whenever he reappeared the masters should do everything to stop him. But he never reappeared." Shifu ends the report.

"Until now.", Li Sai says.

"How did he come back? No one heard from this.", Shifu says.

"I don't know. He was there quite suddenly. And he attacked the school. I was powerless against him. He personally sent me sleeping. And when I woke up again, father was dead. That was the first time I saw him in complete for 50 years. His fur is black now. Pitch black. And what refers me….I don't know what he wanted to do with me. But I could escape before he could do it. I flew without thinking where. And now I landed here somehow….And you know why I have drunken."

We all keep silent. I still can't form a proper thought. These things are hunting me.

"And…do you know, what he will do now?", Shifu asks after a longer break. It seems that it is hunting him also although for him it isn't new.

"No…I can only guess….But he still whispered this melody…."

"Which melody?"

"A melody our Uncle invented. When I remember correctly, Tian Yi always thought that there was more into it, then a mortal eye can see. Before he disappeared for months to do….his horror, he said something about this also. And now he hummed this melody again with a knowing smile."

"Do you can sing the melody for us?"

"I can tell you. There is a text to it:

„_When the greatest Warrior falls,_

_The dragon will rise to take his place._

_The dragon will encounter big crisis,_

_when Light and Shadow will arise._

_The Light is blind to see his road;_

_the Shadow sees his road but takes the wrong._

_Will they change their course?_

_Or will they change the face of the world?_

_Will the city of the Star rise back again?_

_Or Will the Dragon fall?_

_Maybe the world will be a darker place?_

_Maybe the world will be a brighter place?_

_Or will it be the Dragon's place?_

_That decides Fate."_

We kept silent. Again.

"Sounds a little like a prophecy.", Crane states.

"A little, yes. My brother thought always, that it is one. But my Uncle invented it. And he was no soothsayer. So…."

We make another break, when Shifu declares: "If this has to do something with this we don't know. But we can't allow Tian Yi to control the School. We must inform all the masters of the circumstances of Master Tai Hozi's death and go there to free the school and its surroundings."

And so we prepared for the next adventure, which should be much darker than the last.

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.

Characters you don't know are from me.


	8. Scraps

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter VII:** Scraps

It is a blur in front of me.

Scraps of pictures are capturing me.

I am back again close to this river.

The river is not big. In this region only a ford was existent to cross this river. And I and Mato knew this.

He hums his melody again.

"The sun is setting already." I say behind him.

"Yes.", he approves smiling.

In the west comes the army. A barbarian flood, which only purpose it is to cross this river and plunder the lands behind us. We must stop them.

"How we should do this?" I ask him.

"Like always. We stand in this ford and hope for our luck."

"You know, that this can be bigger than we."

"I know. I know very well."

He stands up from the rock, where he was sitting. He lifts his staff.

"You should look out, brother. In battle it's not me, who loses his balance."

"I know."

And so we stand there in the ford waiting for the barbarian flood.

I get pulled back.

Another picture captures me.

"Mato, I am sorry." I say.

He is lying in my hands. The night has already started. The barbarians are on the run.

We won.

And lost.

He smiles to be. "No worry, brother. I could…be…never….angry…at you."

He passes away. With still this warm smile on his face.

First tears are running down my cheeks. My cries echo through the whole region.

Again I am pulled back from the picture.

What are these pictures?

My past?

It seems so far away.

The Scraps are flying away.

A whirl in front of me forms.

I see a light.

And a dark figure.

"You still don't have it?" the dark figure says coldly.

"No, master. I am sorry." another familiar voice says.

"Adum, I believe almost that my mercy was wrong. And this was the only thing which held you alive."

"I am sorry. I will try harder."

The dark figure keeps silent.

"No. You aren't able to find it. That you proved. So at least I hope for you that you can wait better. Wait for the Light."

"Understood, master."

Then the figure turns around.

I recognize him.

And now I get who I am.

But I died. Or not?

Still my son is standing in front of me.

"Awoke, old man?" he says to me without respect.

As you can see, I want to say, but nothing comes out.

Why?

What is going on?

"You should look down." he says to me.

I look down.

Or up.

There is only air.

Thin silver air.

Visible.

But still air.

What happened with me?

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.

Characters you don't know are from me.


	9. Sanctuary

**I would recommend you to listen to this music while reading: on youtube type in: Emotional Music - The Immortal Land  
**

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.

* * *

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter VIII:** Sanctuary

"So we separate?" I ask them.

"Yeah it will be good. In this way Ajina will have problems of finding us and it is also time for this. I need to get to the east and you to the south." Cien tells me.

Somehow I feel sad to separate from him. To work and fight with him, felt somehow….good.

But he was right. It was time.

The only thing I knew for sure.

Feng Sheng had known, in which city we have been. And in this way, we found supplies rather fast, although we had to steal them. Then we got to a crossroad, where we stroke out on our own paths.

And so I am here now. Climbing up to the roof of the world.

Fortunately it isn't very steep, but there for very high. Truly the roof of the world.

On the road – and yeah there are also roads – I meet only few people.

That's why the climbing up is so….empty.

I even miss the quarrels with Cien. So alone I was the last time in Chorh-Gom Prison. Although there were many guards.

After an endless lasting climbing up I got to the roof of the world. Breathing gets difficult here. I am higher than I ever was.

The roof is existing out of plains. Big plains. Interrupted from time to time cause of forests, valleys, hills and even mountains. It doesn't look like I am on a mountain already.

The traveling through this region of the world feels different. Like someone would feel when he is close to the gods. The emptiness and rocks aren't even disturbing in this.

From time to time I find water holes and small villages. There I ask about the road to the highest mountain of the world. All of them point to the south. After I resupplied myself I left.

Also from time to time I make breaks. To mediate. To think. To train. My see without seeing gets better every day. A second nature for real.

And thinking gets always in the same direction.

What is my destiny?

Will I find it here?

The more I think the more I feel empty myself.

….

The further I get and the higher I climb, although this is difficult to notice, the colder it gets. I find even snow lying.

After a long time I see them: The highest mountains I have ever seen. Their peaks reach through the clouds and are not seen anymore.

I reach a village close to it.

"You are searching a sanctuary?" a host asks me. A big water deer.

"Yes. It should be on the highest mountain of it."

The deer thinks.

"You can only mean the ´Holy Mother`. She is the highest mountain of the world. But I have never heard of…"

"But I have." an odd person interrupts him. He resembles a gorilla crossed with a monkey but his fur is completely white.

"Oh don't believe him. The old Yeti is a little crazy." the host tells me.

I look to this "Yeti". He takes a slug. His eyes seem really crazy, but still I see a sparkle there.

I sit down to him.

"You know it?"

"Yep, the old Sanctuary high up. Older than me."

"Do you can lead me there?"

Yeti spits into a bucket nor far away.

"Only when you pay me a cup of Yak Milk."

I grin. Crazy true. I pay it. Fortunately I have still enough coins from the stolen ones, after we escaped.

He takes me with him. He has ropes and a bag full with supplies like me. Also a pickaxe for us both and warm clothes out of wool.

And all was needed. The climbing up was a greater challenge than the escape out of Chorh-Gom Prison. It was cold. It was high. It was steep. And breathing was getting more difficult every meter we climbed. For two days even a blizzard rampaged and we couldn't escape it. It was darker than in Chorh-Gom Prison and that although this was a dark abyss back then. But I still didn't give up.

After more than hard climbing up, in which time I escaped death more than once, we reached our goal.

The sanctuary is in front of us. It is like a building from china with swung peaky roofs. There was a tower close to an abyss and a bigger square part right beside it. Right behind it another higher peak is raising itself. The only path to the sanctuary is climbing up again, but before we need to climb down first, from the peak, where we are standing right now.

At least it is good that the weather had changed for the better and the sun was shining on it in the right angle.

"This is it? How on earth this could be built here?" I mutter. Louder speaking wasn't possible anymore.

"Don't know. I know only that this thing is left behind for a very long time already."

This is true. The windows are broken. Even the gate. And we can see ice and snow how it had buried a part of the building, because the snow was coming through the window and had crushed parts of the walls.

And here should be the Scroll?

I hope it is still.

So we climb down and up again. The sun is setting already, when we reach it.

I look through the open gate. It's dark there. But the parts which are seen, show ice and snow.

I step closer.

"I don't go in. I wait here for you." Yeti says.

I nod and enter it.

The ground was truly out of snow and ice and I had to look out, that I didn't lose my balance. And it is too dark to see anything, which is why I have to trust my other seeing. The whirls in here are not the strongest. How could they? By so less air here. I still have problems with breathing and have to yawn more often that I would like it.

With more trying not to stumble then watching around, I finally reach stairs. I must be at the tower now. The stairs up, are destroyed, because of snow, but the stairs down not. Oddly the whirls here are different than the rest of the sanctuary until now.

I go the stairs down. They are out of wet wood.

Odd. Wet? Why aren't they frozen like the rest?

I reach a chamber below the sanctuary. It has to be in the mountain directly below the main building.

How could this building survive for so long?

In this part of the sanctuary are cupboards with open shelves. There seems to be scrolls. I take one and it falls apart in my hand. Not good.

I look around. With my other seeing. But this chamber seems to be a library without second exit.

Where is the Scroll of the Phoenix?

The whirls here are strange. The whirls of the cupboards are different than the whirls further afar. And these ones are also different to each other. But somehow one whirl feels familiar.

I want to look for this, when I sense another whirl. I am right beside the stone wall of this chamber. And I sense whirls, like they are coming out of the stone. And these are no whirls from the stones.

I go closer. An air stream is coming from the wall. There must be a hidden chamber behind it.

I look around. I focus my seeing on the stones individually. Yes there is a rift of air stream there. And I sense something right beside it.

I touch the stone and detect that it is loose. I push it. Nothing. I pull it. And it comes out slowly. And then I hear a click. And some noises of old mechanisms.

The whole wall trembles.

And then another click and the rift open up. The hidden door is open.

I push it further open only to see a smaller chamber in a better state than the last. Also a library although smaller like the cupboards let deduce. I look around and sense another different whirl not far away. I go there and grab the scroll. It doesn't fall apart, because it is of a thin fire red metal. It resembles the Dragon Scroll, but only in a different color.

Then I realize it.

"I thought you were dead, Adum." I say loud enough, that the familiar whirl behind me, hears me.

"No, like you can sense I still live." he answers while I turn around to him.

He has a torch in the hand and in this way I can see him. I don't know how he looked like earlier, but his appearance didn't look healthy. He has a black eye and bandages around his body and head.

Are these from me?

I realize now, what the other whirls are: His goons.

"So do you want a rematch?" I tempt him.

"No the last was enough." he says grinning and I can see that he is missing some teeth.

"So what do you want from me then? And how did you find me in general?"

"Find? No. I am here longer than you. Thanks to this old turtle I knew the location of the Scroll also. It was good that he didn't care for who was listening as well. But to find the exact position was a little harder. But that changed a while ago."

I sigh. So I am not the secret-holder anymore.

I focus and get into battle posture.

"When you want to have it, you need to beat Me.", I declare confidently.

"No, I don't want it. He wants it.", and then he lies a hand big ball on the ground.

It starts to lighten and then I see a face there. It looks like the face of a black monkey.

"Ah the Light. Finally we can speak." the face starts to talk, "My name is Sun Tian Yi. Master of this futile scum. And you must be Tai Lung, the Light."

Light? So Thorn called me before his death.

"You think probably that I am your enemy. But this is wrong. My servant here had not the brain to detect that we aren't enemies. He has no brain at all. I am your ally. I am your friend. And I know that our goals are similar."

"And that I should believe you?"

"No, but it would be better. I can help you to get what you want."

"And this is?"

"Find your destiny, Tai Lung. I know where you can find it."

The next words remain in my throat. I think. And then shake my head.

"Why should I believe you? You don't know me. And your servants were even responsible for Thorn's death."

"I know, but I know also what would be able to reverse his death. And for this I need the Scroll."

I look down to it.

What did he mean? Is there such a power written in this Scroll?

"I still don't see a reason to give it to you."

"When you open it, you will know the reason."

I hesitate.

Is this a trap?

I sigh again.

But at the end I open it.

It is…

It is completely empty.

I don't get angry…Grrr.

I knew it! When something resembles the Dragon Scroll then it can only be the same joke!

"There is nothing." I say panting with rage.

"Adum throw the torch down." this Tian Yi says and Adum does as he is told.

"Now, Tai Lung, throw the Scroll on It.", and he adds after I hesitate, "Don't worry. It will not be destroyed."

Still I hesitate, but at the end: What a damage it would do? This an empty metal scroll.

I throw it on the torch.

"And now?"

"Wait.", he replies.

I look down on the open scroll, which is lying on top of the torch.

With exception of a light in the middle of it, there was no change.

….

Then I see it.

"Signs."

"Numbers.", Tian Yi corrects me.

I admit that I don't recognize the appearing signs as numbers, but neither as something different.

16 8 26 10 17 7 11 4 5 10 20 26 3 3 8 15 23 11 16 19 7 4 15 22 5 16 12 18 10 4 26 11 2 19 3 8 19 14 25 13 6 22 23 3 26 11 7 23 10 2 15 12 5 12 12 5 20 14 23 7 6 26 20 5 23 6 4 7 15 3 19 5 23 25 1 26 19 8 8 14 11 14 19 9 18 23 12 10 11 2 24 3 4 26 6 18 16 19 12 11 11 21 8 5 9 26 23 6 24 5 12 11 15 6 11 22 4 26 25 5 20 13 2 24 14 1 5 26 8 2 11 18 22 11 8 21 12 10 16 21 11 18 21 16 15 1 1 18 8 21 20 21 16 18 6 3 5 2 19 5 4 5 4 13 3 2 7 25 5 7 6 7 8 218 16 11 21 18 15 8 26 19 21 20 23 3 2 20 22 10 1 1 9 6 7 1 1 25 26 3 17 8 17 18 19 7 5 18 7 12 22 2 8 7 16 3 23 20 14 16 9 25 15 23 11 1 17 18 1 25 12 1 25 2 14 20 5 17 15 26 9 26 5 11 25 2 4 2 14 12 11 16 5 14 12 11 16 24 11 8 22 16 17 25 15 8 24 13

"What this should be?"

"A code. A code, with which we can find the power to reverse Thorn's death. A code only I can decode." he looks up to me, "A code which will tell you your destiny, Tai Lung."

Can this numbers do this?

Should I become the secret-holder that's why Thorn? Although I was no secret-holder at all.

Did you know it, crazy old turtle?

That my destiny is written there?

And even a possibility to bring you back?

I breathe in and out.

I don't know.

But I will find out.


	10. Glasses

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter IX:** Glasses

The valley is a little foggy.

Still better than raining.

Loud breathing in.

And much better than the desert. This valley remembers me of my home, with the river, which crosses the valley, the wet grass and bushes and a little tavern right on one side of the river.

The valley is not big; to be precise with except the short green banks there is only the river in this valley. It would resemble sooner a tight pass, when this river wouldn't be there.

But this isn't disturbing me.

In this region my target should be.

I go the road further, which is nothing more than a trail, which is used also by carts.

On my way to the wooden bridge, which is built between this bank and the other to enter the tavern, I see an old snake.

He had a black-yellow striped pattern with a black head and tail. He has also a magnificent moustache and goat beard, both in white. And beside him is an Erhu, a two-stringed fiddle, which he is playing right now. It's rather beautiful, but that's why I am not here.

I pass the old snake.

"You should look out, young traveler." I hear. I turn to the old snake, which had stopped playing and looked at me. He is blind.

"What do you mean?"

"You should look out for the fear. In this part of the world fear reigns."

I smile and shake my head. "I do not fear anything."

"Everyone says that, who never learned true fear." he says and starts to play again.

I look for a while at him and then shake my head. I turn around and continue going.

I cross the bridge and enter the tavern.

It is rather full, like I must admit.

Everywhere are sitting and standing people: bunnies, cats, goats, oxen, sheep, geese, ducks and many more. Noticeable is also that the bar belongs to a grim looking panda with an eye patch.

And to him I go.

I sit down at a stool by the bar. The host is cleaning a cup.

"What do ya want?" he asks me with a rough voice.

"Something to drink would be good." I say and throw a coin on the bar. Silver. Since we stole the money there remained not much.

He serves me a cup full with a reddish fluid and beside it a big black container, which resembles an urn.

"What is this?"

"Rice wine."

I never tried this stuff from the east.

Try and learn.

I take it and drink it down in one go.

Bitter.

But not so hard stuff I am used to.

And it is still somehow to my liking.

I take another cup.

Then I refill my cup and turn around to the tavern.

There are really much people.

I see some oxen, which remind me of lumberjacks. There are some kids, who are playing tag, while their parents try to stop them. And there are female goats and sheep in more expensive clothes, which are chitchatting. And right beside them two silent wolves, who look like guards.

In a more closed part of the tavern some rabbits, geese and roe are playing some game with dices.

I grin. It remembers me of some saying, which someone had said once: "The die has been cast."

I shake my head of amusement of this not fitting memory.

Then I look to the other side of the tavern. On one of the tables is sitting a fatter white rabbit with something like rectangular glasses on his nose. But these ones are darkened, almost black. They look somehow cool.

I drink up my third cup and turn back to the host.

While I refill my cup, I ask the host in a minor important manner: "I am searching for something."

The Host turns around to me. He cleans again, but this time a plate.

"And what's that?"

I grin. "The Order of the Black Claw."

I didn't say it loud. Not even in a special dramatic fashion.

But after I had said it, the until now rather loud tavern becomes silent. Completely.

I look around a little confused. All of them are looking at me.

With an odd face.

Only the rabbit with the glasses continues to drink out of his cup normally.

It last not very long, when the people start to talk again. Some of them stand up and leave the tavern. Most often the people with kids and the richer ones.

I turn back to the host, who had stopped cleaning and is looking at me with a serious look.

"Seems that there are people who know them. You, too?" I say to him in an amused manner.

The Host keeps silent and then looks behind me.

An axe lands on the bar hard with its blunt end.

"When you are not stopping to talk about "It", you will come to know us better." says someone with a deep voice.

I turn to him.

The four oxen lumberjacks are standing there prepared with their axes. They are only wearing pants and vests in different colors.

"When you want to quarrel do this outside." the host says with a bored voice.

I grin at them.

"Then let's go outside." I suggest and stand up.

I go as the first and can see that more people had left the tavern that I had expected.

Except me and the oxen only the host and the white rabbit are still here. And the last one is still drinking his whatever.

When I first step out through the wooden door, I know that these guys will not play by the rules.

Thank the gods that I am not born as a guy with something like pride or honor.

The first ox attacks me already after I do my first step out.

He rushes at me, lunging his axe.

I go a step backwards and bow down a little. In this way I can lift my right arm in the right moment to hit my back of the hand in his face.

He staggers forward and I grab his axe with both my arms.

While he is collapsing, I jump away prepared to fight axe against axe.

The next two rushes at me.

I rush at the closer one and use my axe as trip hazard and in the same motion as a shield against the second axe. Of course my wooden part of the axe meets the wooden part of the other axe, in which way the sharp side of the opponents axe is stopped right in front of my face.

But otherwise than my inexperienced lumberjack ox here, I don't stop with my movement.

I strike his axe to the side with pressing forward the handle and pulling backwards the metal peak of the axe and in the same movement pushing the opponents axe away with the handle.

And then in a swift movement I turn the axe to the other side and hit with the blunt side of the axe in the face of the second ox.

Then the fourth ox attacks me – oddly enough the one, who had talked to me – and I bow down under the attack of his axe and hammer the end of the handle in the middle of his belly.

His chin comes forward and I lift the handle hard against his chin.

While he is collapsing I go to the first ox, who wants to stand up again and hit him with the side of the metal axe in his face.

Then I turn to the second ox, who had achieved to stand up and who had realized right now, that I have beaten up all of his buddies.

He looks at me with a scared face.

"Buh!" I say to him amused. He turns around right now and runs away.

I go to the fourth ox, who seemed to be the leader.

I hit the ground right beside his face with the axe.

"Better you follow his example." I still say and enter the tavern again.

It is a complete different atmosphere now, when it is empty.

I go to the bar, take my cup and container with an amused grin and go to the table of the rabbit.

I put down the container loud on his table, before I sit down opposite of him.

I look at his neutral face.

I pour in my cup some of the wine and then let go of the container.

"So you know something about the Order?" I ask him the rhetorical question, while I take a slug.

The rabbit puts down his cup and now I can see that there is tea.

"What do you want from the Order?" he asks me.

Deeper than I thought for a fat rabbit.

"Nothing. I want something from a guy, who is in the Order." I answer honestly, while drinking up my cup.

The rabbit grins amused. "Then I can't help you."

"And that is why?"

The rabbit takes his cup in the hand again and nips on it.

I pour in another cup.

"Because I can't say you anything about different members of the Order." he replies.

I scratch my fur right upwards of my mouth, while I put down the full cup.

Then I draw my sword fast and hold it right in front of his throat.

"Wrong answer." I say threatening.

The rabbit still seems not scared in no matter.

"You don't understand. It is not that I don't want to, but more that I can't."

"And why is it so?"

"Because of the organization of the Order. It is organized in cells. I know only the members of my cell and no other."

Interesting, but not useful now.

"Then think if he is in your cell. His name is Moc."

The rabbit wants to shake his head, but remembers the point of the sword.

"Don't know him."

I shake my head in a dissatisfied manner.

"Then you will take me to your boss. The one or ones that supervise every cell. And don't tell me, that these ones don't exist. I know that they are existing."

The rabbit seems to be a little surprised, but this glasses disguise this rather good.

"That I can't do."

I shove the sword closer to his throat.

"No, wait!" he says and has finally lost his cool, "I have a better offer for you."

I shake my head. "I want to have Moc. No one else."

"No, this can bring you to him."

That pricks up my ears and I shove the sword back.

"I listen."

The rabbit pants a little.

"The Order had….some issues in the last time. Bigger issues."

"So what?"

"The issues were that, that not an insignificant amount of members left the Order. To join an army under a monkey with the name Tian Yi."

"So?"

"Your friend or whatever he is to you, could be a member of these runaway."

I think about this.

"But he can easily be still in your Order." I state.

"Yeah, but the location of the Order HQ I can't tell you even, when you kill me. But the location of this army I can tell you."

I think about this.

When I let him go, he will surely warn the others and my biggest advantage, the surprise effect, would be gone.

But I don't think that he will tell me otherwise what I want to know. And there is a chance that Moc is part of this army.

"Tell me.", I say finally.

The rabbit smiles.

"His army is at the Sun Wukong School of Martial Arts, some days south from here."

I nod.

Then I think about killing him still.

I smirk.

I take my sword back and pull it back to its sheath.

The sword needs to be clean for Moc.

I stand up, while drinking the wine out of my cup.

"Thanks for the information."

I take the container and put down the cup on the opening.

Then I take the glasses of the surprised rabbit and put them on my nose.

Splendid.

"No offense, but I think I look better in them."

And then I leave the tavern.

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.


	11. In front of the Statue

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter X:** In front of the Statue

Delicious.

This third portion of noodles and the fifth portion of Dumplings are splendid.

Only dad can make it better.

….

Ok me too.

We are in an inn close to a road, which leads us to the School.

The others are sitting around the table and are eating and chatting.

"Is this still far to the School?" Viper asks kindly.

"Not far. Not even a day and we should be there." Master Li Sai replies.

"And we still haven't seen an enemy so close to the School." Tigress states.

"They had occupied the whole School terrain. This should be big enough that an army can stay there. In the past an imperial army and these times pupils could live there."

"Then it must be really huge." I say.

"That it is."

We eat further for a while completely quiet.

"We should discuss a plan how we can beat Tian Yi's men until other masters arrive." Shifu suggest after this break.

"That I wouldn't recommend you." a voice says.

We all turn around to the smaller table right behind me, where only one person is sitting, who wears a long white cloak and a straw hat, like I wanted to have one always.

Right beside him on his bench is lying a curved sword in its leather sheath.

He grabs it.

And turns around.

While he had done this, Tigress and the others stepped closer and are prepared to overwhelm him.

He takes his hat off.

He is a white tiger with red eyes. He wears a silken suit, which resembles that of Shen, but has more red color in it.

He eyes us and we all are much tensed.

"I would also recommend you to chill down."

"Who are you?" Tigress demands to know.

The white Tiger smiles.

"My name is Bai Fen, a messenger of Tian Yi.", he lifts his sword to his neck, "And when you don't want to have the death of many villagers on your conscience you should chill now."

This doesn't break the tension, but there for the aggressive atmosphere. We all sit down again.

"What do you want from us?" Li Sai demands to know.

The white tiger ignores him completely. He eyes me with a patronizing look.

"You are the Dragon Warrior? Hah a fatty."

The way he said this makes me angry.

Then he looks to Master Li Sai.

"I don't have business with you." he looks to me and points out at me with his forefinger, "I have a message from my master for you, fatty." he sits up straight, "You have time till midnight to come to the Sanctuary of Sun Wukong. Alone. He wants to speak with you. So you don't need to worry."

"As if Po would fall for this obvious trap." monkey states.

"And I need to say you another thing. The village, I mentioned earlier, is the village Luseshui not far from here. I bet the noble Master Li Sai knows It.", Li Sai nods, "The army of my master is surrounding it in this moment. And it waits until midnight, and then it will attack. Unless I send to the General a message till then. And I will not send it, if our fatty here will not go alone to master Tian Yi."

These monsters! How can they?

Every one of us keeps silent.

But at the end I decide.

"I go."

"Po, you can't do this!" Tigress shouts at me.

"I will not be responsible for more death. When I can prevent it, then I will do.", I counter and then turn around to Bai Fen, "If someone shows me the way."

Bai Fen chuckles. "Of course fatty. Good decision. Is cleaner. For everyone." he stands up, "So let's go."

"Wait, prior I want to talk with them. Without you."

The white tiger looks completely bored.

He shrugs. "When you want. It is not my time, which is passing here. I wait outside."

When he went outside, Shifu spoke to me: "I am proud of you, Po, although it is an obvious trap." he turns to Master Li Sai, "Master Li Sai, are you knowing the exact location of this village?"

"Yes very good even."

"Then we will go to this village and will try to rescue it."

"That would take much pressure of me. But I don't think you can accomplish this before I meet with him. Maybe I can stop him even in this way."

I stand up and want to go, but Tigress grabs my arm.

"Look after yourself." she says in a worried manner.

I smile.

I step outside, where the white tiger is peeing in a close bush.

"I am ready." I declare.

The white Tiger pees to the end without hurry and then turns around to me. He wears his hat again and his sword is still with the blunt side on his neck.

"Finally. Come Fatty."

The inn is lying in a bamboo forest, which we cross now.

We reach rice fields, which are to our both sides and at the horizon we can see a broader hill.

"This is our goal, fatty." Bai Fen says.

We continue going and the hill is coming closer.

We pass a river with the aid of an old bridge.

The sun is setting already when we arrive at the hill. It is not high, but there for the peak is very broad. On it I see walls and roofs of three buildings.

But before we reach the hill we need to cross another river, which is flowing around the hill and some flat ground as well. On this flat ground are further buildings, seemingly for living.

We pass these empty and huge buildings. There are many of them.

While I am looking for any sign of living, he falls back. First I assume a trap, but then he whistles.

I turn around to him, while a small sparrow lands on his hand.

He gives him a rolled-up piece of paper.

"This is for the general." he says to the sparrow. This one salutes and leaves us by flying away.

While I look still in the direction, where this sparrow is flying he says to me: "Keep moving. We are almost there, fatty."

So we go further and reach – guess what.

…..

Yeah stairs.

They are pressing against the hill and are going up in a whirl around the whole hill.

"My master waits for you up there. I wait here, while you go up. If you can, of course."

He says and laughs at me.

He knows that the stairs had discouraged me, but this satisfaction I will not give him.

With new courage I take my first step.

5th step.

10th step.

15th step…

Fuuhhh

20th step….

God…panting.

30th step.

How far still?

50th step.

Only panting….

70th step.

Can't hold myself on my feet.

80th step.

Why these need to be always stairs? Is this a part of this Kung Fu mysticism?

Finally I reach the peak.

Completely exhausted.

I need some time to recover and then I look forward.

Oh my god.

In front of me is a broken gate and in front of this an empty place built with white marble stones.

But the shocking is the middle of this place: It looks like something was pressed into it and the complete ground was destroyed by this.

I remember the last time something had destroyed the solid ground.

Then Shen had used his cannon to kill Master Thundering Rhino.

This is not a good start for this.

I step into the school.

Beside me are two further buildings. Some of the windows are broken. Even some of the solid stone walls.

Right beside the gate is a big hole in the surrounding walls. As if someone has flown through it.

In front of me is the Sanctuary of Sun Wukong with its big gate. It is open.

How often I have dreamed of seeing it once, but now.

In this way I hadn't imagined it.

I enter the Sanctuary.

In front of me stands the glorious golden statue of Sun Wukong.

It is still fascinating to see it.

"Welcome in the Sanctuary of Sun Wukong, Dragon." I hear a voice in front of me by the feet of Sun Wukong. There is standing a dark figure, which turns around to me now.

He has black fur and a black silken suit, but resembles otherwise Master Li Sai.

Maybe a little bit younger. Wasn't he the older brother?

He seems to stumble.

"I admit that I heard that you are a panda. But still I imagined you more…fit, Dragon."

"That I hear often. And the correct address is Dragon Warrior."

He chuckles. His arms are folded on his back.

"You look at me, if I am your enemy, Dragon.", and after a break, "…Warrior."

"Are you not?" I ask warily.

"No I am not." he confirms.

"Then you aren't guilty of killing the Master of this school, your father, and its students?" I confront him with the facts.

He chuckles again and is going to one of the artifacts, which are found here. Like in the Jade Palace.

"I don't deny that I have killed my father, but the students are more than healthy. Some of them had joined me and my efforts and the remaining I let go."

"But still you killed your father."

He looks at me.

"This was an old grudge. It ended with his death and shouldn't poison the here and now. Like your old Grand Master Oogway told always:

Yesterday is history,

Tomorrow a mystery,

But today is a gift.

That is why it is called present."

I admit that this sounded like Oogway.

"So what? Should I forget that you killed an innocent person?"

"No, but this shouldn't influence the present so much like you think." he walks back to the statue and looks at it again, "You know, the grudge had stopped me from doing something bigger. Something greater. Something which will change the world."

"What do you mean?" I ask warily.

He turns his head back to me.

"Searching a power, which is so big, that it could change the structure of this world forever." he turns to me completely, "A power, which is until now, in the hands of the cruel gods only."

"What power?"

"The power over Life and Death."

What? That can't be!

"Such a power doesn't exist."

"No it exists. Our ancestors had found it and it is still in their city: The City of the Star."

"I have never heard of such a city."

"Because it is lost. Long ago already. But when we can find it the power will be ours. To decide over death, life and even revive."

What?

I lower my head. With such a power I could bring back Shen and Tai Lung. And even my parents. And much more innocent people, who had died too early.

I raise my head again.

"And how will you find this city, when it is lost?"

"A scroll shows the way. A scroll which is already in my hand, but needs to be decoded first."

Then a question rise in me.

"Then for what you need me?"

He lowers his head all-knowingly.

"You heard the prophecy of my uncle?"

"Yeah."

"Then it will interest you, that you are the dragon from this prophecy. The dragon plays a big role by finding the City of the Star. I still don't know, which, but it would be better, if we work together to achieve this goal."

I lower my head again.

"Imagine only Dragon: With the power over Life and Death in the hands of mortals, this world will lose its horror once and for all. It would be a paradise again for all living being."

"And who will hold this power?"

This question came completely suddenly, but it surprises Tian Yi also.

"Me. And you. For time. Until we find a more worthy one for this."

I look back to him.

"You? You who had done this to the villagers 50 years ago?"

He looks a little annoyed.

"I said already: The past shouldn't poison the today."

"Then talk about today. You have forced me to come to you all alone with threatening a village with its innocent citizens."

He keeps quiet after this.

"How can I entrust a person like you such a power? Even with me there would be no guarantee that you would give up this power or worse don't abuse it for your selfish reasons." I get into battle posture, "I can't allow this, Tian Yi. I stop you no matter the cost."

He had lowered his head and looks back at me now. His look is completely cold.

"Too bad. It would have improved the chances of finding it, if the dragon of the prophecy would be there. But when not I will not force you. But you must understand that I don't allow you to prevent my plans. I am fate. When fate can't accomplish its plans this world will transform into chaos in matter of seconds."

"So at the end you are my enemy."

"No, I was your enemy."

Rather fast change of opinions.

He rushes at me with an awesome speed.

He attacks me with his hands, which are completely flat and the fingers resembles knifes.

Funny is that I can still dodge it.

Then a hand cuts me through my fur and I see my chance to attack.

I hit the arm away and attack simultaneously with my belly. Tian Yi flies backwards, but can stop himself with his claw hands. He attacks again and this time with a kick. I dodge it in time, but he uses one of the pillars to change direction in the same movement by holding and circling it. He kicks me away and I fly backwards. But I jump up fast and am the attacker for the first time. He seems faster than me, but I am stronger and although I can't dodge every attack – the claw attacks not calculated – I still can gain the upper hand and grab his hands. Then I whirl with him some time until I let him fly and he lands against the next pillar.

Hah!

He stands up with an amused look and my victory in the first clash is somehow not so satisfying anymore.

"You are truly the Dragon Warrior. The foretold genius in Kung Fu. But what if I change the rules?"

And then he disappears in a black cloud.

I look around and can't see him.

Then he reappears over my head and grabs my neck with his feet. He makes a back flip and takes me with him. He throws me with an unbelievable strength to the other side of the sanctuary, where I crash against the wall.

I stand up still a little dizzy, when he hits me again.

And this one is much stronger.

The pain is unbelievable and I hear like the wall behind me gets cracks cause of this attack in my belly.

I can't move.

"It would have been so nice to have you on my side as well as the Light. But it shouldn't be..." he still says turning around again. I still can't move.

Then he kicks me in the face and I break through the cracked wall completely.

In front of my eyes are blurs, while I am falling the hill down.

I see a shadow coming down again.

And then I hit the water and darkness surrounds me.

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.

I make a break with this chapter. Need to rethink some matters. Don't know when I will update again.


	12. Code

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter XI:** Code

I am angry.

First I had to marsh the whole way to this guy and then he keeps me waiting.

I am in something like a camp full with tents, populated by his army.

They remind me of Vachir and his men.

Since the first day I haven't seen anyone special.

Adum is not interesting me.

And they said me that Tian Yi has an important meeting before me.

Who can be more important than me?

I shouldn't have believed this guy.

At the end he lied about my destiny.

It is night and I have nothing better to do than walking through this camp, which is built somewhere in a valley.

At least in this way my sensibility of familiar whirls gets better.

I need less and less concentration to detect the difference between these guys.

In this army are many foreigners.

I sense Rhinos, who are speaking an odd language.

Wolves, with an even more odd language.

Ravens in a familiar language.

And still gorillas, lions, tigers, crocodiles, vultures, bears and even some unknown species like Hippos.

A concentration of the varieties.

Led by a black crab-eating monkey.

This is really extraordinary.

"You must be Tai Lung.", I hear a voice from the side.

There is leaning a white Tiger with a sheathed sword in his hand on a tent pillar. His red eyes have a strange look.

"And you are?"

"My name is Bai Fen, messenger of Tian Yi.", he steps a little closer, "For long I wanted to meet you, the real Dragon Warrior."

I hesitate.

"I am not the Dragon Warrior. Never was."

"Odd. You have given up the title to this big fat panda?"

"You know Po?"

"Met him not long ago."

"For what reason?"

"To deliver a message to him. I don't know why, but Master Tian Yi is somehow interested in this guy."

"I see." I mutter and turn away from him.

"I haven't given up the title, but instead I realized that this is not my way." I add finally.

"And which way is yours?"

I turn my head back.

"This is the question and that is why I am waiting for your master."

"I see." he says lowering his head.

I think the talk is over and want to go, when he stops me.

"My master is ready for you."

"His meeting is over?" I reply still angry.

"Yes. He arrived not long ago. Come with me."

And so I followed Bai Fen.

He led me to a bigger tent than the others.

Inside are a small bed and a table and two chairs. On the table is the Scroll of the Phoenix, a teapot with two cups and a burning candle. Tian Yi is sitting on the chair, from where he can see the entrance.

He is brooding about a piece of paper, while I enter.

Hmm.

I sense something from him. Something odd.

He lifts his head.

"Ah, Tai Lung. Welcome in my tent." he greets me and stands up stretching his arms to the sides, after he put down the piece of paper.

I don't answer this hugging gesture like he wanted it, and that's why he lowers his arms again.

"Sit down, please." he says and points out to the other chair.

I sit down, while he sits down on his.

"Some tea?" he asks me in a completely polite manner, but also completely routine.

"No."

"You have certainly questions." he states the obvious, "Now you can ask them."

"Why have you kept me waiting?" I ask annoyed.

"I said I had a meeting."

"More important than me? Who is it?"

"The Dragon Warrior."

Somehow the mentioning of this is raising my anger.

"I see. The one who had tried to take away his title is not worth so much."

"No, it was a timing thing. I had no time to meet him otherwise."

"And about what were you talking?"

"If he joins our forces. He refused."

"Oh, is that so?"

Good. I don't want to see him. Now.

"And it can be that his friends will make us trouble. I hope I can count on your help in this, my friend?"

"I am not your friend. We are allies for time. As long as my goals are the same as yours, we will work together. Not longer."

"I see."

I look to the Scroll.

"You said, that when I give you this Scroll you would say what my destiny is. I am still waiting."

He chuckles. But different from Thorn. More arrogantly.

"I know. You ought to know what is written down on this Scroll."

"Numbers like you said. Foreign Numbers, which form a code. And this code hides the location of a power, with which I can reverse Thorn's death, when I understood correctly. And more important find my destiny."

"Correct. But to be precise this Scroll should have shown us where a City is located. The City of the Star. And in this city is the power over Life and Death hidden. And also of revive."

Life and Death and Revive? What incredible power. But…

"Does there exist such a power?"

"Yeah, but the one who had hidden it, didn't make it easy for us."

"What do you mean?"

"It appears that this Scroll is only one part of a puzzle. There is a second. And we will marsh to it soon."

"Wait a minute. Before you can tell me what you have found out, I am interested in the how."

"Of course. You see this is no simple code, but a twice encoded code. The first are the numbers. They stand for letters."

"Letters?"

"Letters are the script of a different language. To be precise in this case the language Latin, which is found only in the west. This alphabet is formed out of 26 letters, from which everyone are standing for a specific sound. And when you look more precisely on this Scroll, you will see that there is no number bigger than 26."

"Ah is that so. If I could read this numbers I would approve maybe."

"Oh I forgot about this. It is only important to know, that it so. Believe me with this. I spent years to come to this result. So every of this numbers is a replacement for a letter of this alphabet and now we need only transform the numbers into letters once again. And the result will be this."

He shows me the piece of paper and points out on the upper side:

P H Z J Q G K D E J T Z C C H O W K P S G D O V E P L R J D Z K B S C H S N Y M F V W C Z K G W J B O L E L L E T N W G F Z T E W F D G O C S E W Y A Z S H H N K N S I R W L J K B X C D Z F R P S L K K U H E I Z W F X E L K O F K V D Z Y E T M B X N A E Z H B K R V K H U L J P U K R U P O A A R H U T U P R F C E B S E D E D M C B G Y E G F G H U H P K U R O H Z S U T W C B T V J A A I F G A A Y Z C Q H Q R S G E R G L V B H G P C W T N P I Y O W K A Q R A Y L A Y B N T E Q O Z I Z E K Y B D B N L K P E N L K P X K H V P Q Y O H X M

"And what is this meaning?"

"Nothing. To be more precise rubbish."

"What? This makes no sense."

"Of course it does. I said that it is a twice encoded code. This was only the first decoding. The second is much more complicated. It uses not one alphabet, but 26."

"26 Alphabets? What do you mean?"

"You see the Latin alphabet begins with the letters A B C and so on. But for the coding it was used also the Alphabet which starts with B C and the A is the last letter. And then there is the third alphabet which starts with C and A and B are at the end. And so on until you have all 26 alphabets."

"Okay it is complicated, but I get the main thing in this. But how can this be used for coding?"

"Rather simple. You take a keyword, for example Warrior. And then you have a text, which should be coded. For example: This is a trap. So you use your keyword for all the letters. You take the first letter t. This you want to exchange with a different letter. That's for you use your keyword. The first letter of the key word is W. So you go to the alphabet, which starts with W. And then you go to the same position, where t is in the normal alphabet and uses instead the t, the letter, which is written in this alphabet. This would be the letter P in this case. Then you do this with the remaining letters until you have the coded text: PHZA QG R PRRG. Complete rubbish."

"And how this helps us?"

"When we know the keywords, we can decode this rubbish."

"And we have them?"

"Yes. My uncle had hid them in a melodious prophecy."

He tells me this prophecy.

There is also mentioned a Light. Is this me?

"The most important words of every phrase are the keywords. So Warrior, Dragon twice, Light and Shadow and the remaining. Every word is used as a keyword for a phrase of this Scroll. Now we need only to find out, when another phrase and word begins."

"But this can last long."

"Not when you have a good intelligence group. They have decoded it. It is written down on this paper first in Latin letters and then in Chinese. Look for yourself."

I read the text:

This is the Scroll of the Phoenix and it tells where a city is found.

In this city is a power that even the world would tremble, when it is unleashed.

When you want to have this power you need to be clever and good-hearted.

When you want to find this city you will need to be strong-willed and enduring.

This power is there where peace is home.

"What does this mean? It doesn't tell much about this power. It gives only advices. And an enigmatic answer where it is found. And no word about my destiny." I state annoyed.

"Correct. But it is enough. Although I think this will lead us only to another Scroll."

I read again the last phrase.

"Where peace is home?...The Valley of Peace!"

"Exactly. And there we will go."

"And you believe that this will lead us to another scroll?"

"Probably. The melody has 14 phrases, but for the encoding I needed only 5. So there need to be more Scrolls, which need to be decoded. Maybe three in total."

"Is that so? Then I know where the second Scroll is."

"You know? That is fantastic. It will cost us less time to find it. Where is it?"

"First I need to know: This should lead me to my destiny. But it doesn't tell us what my destiny is in the first place. So how this fits together?"

"We will know your destiny, when we find the city."

"That is not what you have promised."

"No, but I didn't know that there are more than one scroll either. But you heard the melody: You are the Light. Even your friend Thorn acknowledged this. And the Light has an important role in finding the City."

Somehow it still not sounds satisfying.

"I bet that your destiny is to achieve something great. No I can guarantee it. When we find this City and its power, we will change the face of this world forever. We will shape this world to a better place for everyone. And you will be the hero, who had accomplished this. You will be known for eternity."

Thinking about this makes me proud. I will be the Great Dragon, Tai Lung, if now with the title of the Dragon Warrior or not. This is my destiny. Yes.

But something is disturbing still.

"And what will you be?"

"I? I am fate. I lead you only on your way. Fate doesn't need glory."

**To be continued in Chapter XII:** Meeting

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.

Somehow the break didn't last as long as I imagined. :D  
For further explanation of the decoding/encoding stuff see in wikipedia: Substitution Cipher and Polyalphabetic cipher


	13. Meeting

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter XII:** Meeting

Brrr….

Man is this cold.

Campfire does you your duty.

Dry my wet fur and clothes!

The best bet would be before I get a cold.

"HAAA'TSSSSHHHHHUUUUUU!"

Oh damn. Maybe I have a cold already.

Only cause of this panda.

I look to him.

Sleeping like….I wanted to say like an angel, but somehow I can't connect this word with him.

Luckily his fat had rescued his ass up there.

This black monkey would have killed him otherwise.

Now one question remains: Why did I jump behind him? And fish him out of this damn cold river.

This was stupid. I had an excellent position to eavesdrop this monkey, who seems the leader of this army. It would have been cleverest, if I had stayed there and then follow him.

In this way I had found out, if Moc is in his army or not.

But noooo…..

Seems that my hero instinct is better developed than my good judgment. Or I should call it better my suicide instinct? Because of this thing I have died almost already too often.

This time also. For a hill this thing had many peaky edges. And the river was full of too many peaky stalagmites for my taste.

And why I listened this time on my suicide instinct? To rescue a big fat panda.

Okay he seems to be the Dragon Warrior, but still…

Couldn't it be my beautiful princess of a Vixen?

With such a thing I would have scored by her and let her forget the stolen kiss.

Although it felt wonderful…I would do it again in a similar situation.

Oh this memory is so wonderful. I can only grin brightly.

"Uhhh…" I hear the panda waking up.

He opens his eyes slowly. And then he sees me. He jumps up faster than I have expected and gets into battle posture. Only to lose this position cause of the pain in his belly.

"Uhh…Who are you?" he mutters to me one eye closed and the hands on his belly.

I chuckle first and laugh about this show.

"No enemy, panda." I can still squeeze through the laughter.

"Then who are you?"

Slowly I stop to laugh.

"The guy who had fished you out of the river.", and I point out to it.

Then I see like he relaxes and sits down. And then I look down. My jacket, which I had thrown on him, is lying in the dirt now.

"Then tha…" he wants to thank me, but I interrupt him: "My jacket! Damn!"

I take it up and clean it from the dirt.

Luckily black isn't dirty so fast, despite the wetness.

"Oh sorry." he mutters, but I don't care.

I dress the jacket and pull out the glasses of one of the pockets. Hah, not even a little dirty. And although I see worse, it still feels good.

An awkward silence starts.

"Eh, my name is Po." he tries to break it.

"My name is Cien. And you are the Dragon Warrior, from who I heard already."

"You heard from me? But you seem to be a foreigner."

"Yes, Tai Lung told me about you."

"Tai Lung! Tai Lung lives?"

Somehow his startled face changed to a curious in a matter of a second.

"Yeah. I guess. It's been a while since I saw him last time."

He seems relieved. For someone, who had killed Tai Lung once, he seems rather happy to hear, that he is still alive.

"And do you know where he is right now?"

"No plan. Maybe on the roof of the world. He wanted to go there. But I don't know, if he is still there."

"Okay, but…."

"Stop this questioning! I didn't rescue you to answer your questions about Tai Lung only."

"Okay. But why have you rescued me then?"

That is a good question! I would like to comment this with "Next question please.", but after my announcement from a moment ago, I can't do this.

So why have I rescued him?

"Tian Yi…" the first thing what comes into my mind, "….You know him?"

"Yeah but not so good. I will stop him."

"That I heard. I eavesdropped your conversation with him. But who is this guy?"

"Don't know. A monkey with too much fantasy of omnipotence maybe?"

This was a joke. I laugh and he too.

"Maybe….I am pursuing someone."

"Who?"

"A guy called Moc. He seems to be in the army of this guy. Do you know where it is?"

He thinks. "Yesterday it was around a village not far away from here. But this could have changed already. He only wanted to meet me."

"I see." I mutter.

Then I hear something.

Steps.

I stand up.

He starts asking me something again.

"Quiet!" I demand.

"What is…going on? Do you hear something?" Po says and stands up also.

More Steps. We are surrounded.

I take down my glasses and draw my sword.

"Whoever you are, come out!" I yell.

Then I see a figure coming from the opposite direction of me.

First I see only the feet, but this is enough to recognize her.

My gorgeous vixen.

She wears a black cloak and hood now, when she steps into the light of the fire.

"My gorgeous…." I begin to talk, but she slaps me hard.

"That was for the unwanted kiss." she declares and she seems to be angry.

I rub my cheek and begin to smile afterwards.

"I will bear it with my head raised." I counter.

I see that this is dissatisfying her. My grin gets brighter.

"Eh did I miss something?" Po asks confused.

Slowly the other parts of her raid gang are coming into light and I raise my sword.

"When you are here to take me with you to sell me on a slavery auction, then I need to disappoint you. Although I would like to go with you, but pitiful not for this reason."

She doesn't seem angry cause of this.

She looks to Po.

"I admit that this was my initial reason for leaving the desert behind so far. But things changed."

She goes closer to Po and in a somehow charming manner.

Can't believe it, I become jealous of this panda! He doesn't even realize what she is doing!

She circles us.

"You see, we seem to have the same enemy."

"Tian Yi is your enemy?" Po asks startled.

"Yes. Two years ago he had destroyed my former gang with his army. These men you see in this moment are the pathetic rest of a bandit gang, which had terrorized every route in the desert. And this guy is responsible for this."

She looks at me now.

"So you can imagine how surprised I was when you have led me to him, panther. And even the Dragon Warrior. Somehow I wouldn't have expected such generosity in you."

"When you would spend more time with me, you would notice much more surprising things on me. Most in the positive manner."

"Hah, no chance!" she looks back to Po, "You, Dragon Warrior, are his enemy. So the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I will help you stop him, no matter what he plans."

"Okay. Thanks. But how can you help me?"

"For example in saying you, where he is marching with his army right now."

"Where?"

"To the Valley of Peace."

"What! Why?"

"Don't know. But he has already a rather big advance. We should hurry, when we want to outrun him."

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go!" I declare.

She looks at me with an annoyed look.

"And who said that you will come with us?"

"No one, but I have business to do with this Tian Yi as well as you. So, how did you say it a moment ago: The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

She looks at me with a shocked face. She had detected the ambiguity of the word "friend".

"Whatever.", she comments at the end, but didn't look happy.

"Wait. We need to find the Furious Five, Master Shifu and Master Li Sai first.", Po says alarmed.

"That shouldn't be a problem. Where are they?"

"In the village Luseshui."

"Ah we know it. It is on the way. So let's go."

And so we entered the night again.

**To be continued in Chapter XIII:** Valley under Arrest

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.


	14. Valley under Arrest

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter XIII:** Valley under Arrest

We ran through the night.

Fuuh….man, how these guys can see in this Darkness.

I tripped more than once cause of a root or something like that.

Maybe they are felines like Cien and in this way have a night vision.

Night vision…Would be good to have one.

I pant louder.

The pain in my belly gets bigger.

Still we run through the night.

I need to take a break more than once. Cause of this pain in my belly and cause of this long road.

I think that this vixen doesn't like it.

We arrive at Luseshui by sunrise.

The village resembles my home village, but is much smaller.

There are nowhere signs of an army, which had surrounded it.

A door opens and two familiar figures appear.

"Po! You are alive!" Mantis exclaims, while sitting on Cranes hat.

"Crane! Mantis! Good to see you. Where are the others?"

"On the pursuit of this army. This white tiger lied to us. Here never was an army. So we searched for it and found it further south. It had started to march tonight and so Master Shifu decided to pursue it. But I and Mantis should wait for you." Crane explains and then looks behind me, "And who are these guys?"

"Eh, friends."

"Allies. My name is Aijna the Desert Fox. We are behind the same enemy." the vixen explains.

I notice that she had said her name the first time.

Then a greater pain hits me in my belly and I moan.

"Po!" Mantis says and jumps down to me.

He examines me.

"Po, you have some serious injuries at your belly. What happened?"

"Fought against Tian Yi and lost." Cien explains rather short.

"This is not good. I need to treat you, before it can get worse."

"We can't. Tian Yi and his army are on the way to the valley of Peace. We need to hurry." I explain.

"What? From where do you know this?" Crane asks.

"These guys said it.", I say and point out to them.

The pain is getting stronger.

"And where do you know this?" Crane asks warily.

"Spied them." she replies simply.

"Who are you guys?" Crane interrogates them further.

"We have no time for this. We need to hurry." I declare.

"We are bandits, but we have the same enemy. This should be enough." she responds.

"I don't think so…."

"Hey, you have two choices: Either you don't trust them and risk that the Valley is attacked or you trust them for now until you secured that the Valley is not in danger anymore. Decide. But fast, because every second we talk here, we lose time, we not have." Cien explains.

Crane seems to be quiet after this.

"All right. Let's go." I say and try to stand up. But the pain is much worse now.

"Po you can't. You are not in the state to go somewhere. Not with your own feet. I need to treat you." Mantis says.

"But..."

"And it would be better, when you sleep. Sleep is always a good medicine."

And then he touches somewhere on my body and darkness surrounds me.

When I wake up, I feel much better.

I feel like I am…..carried.

"Guys?"

"Hey he awoke."

The sun is setting already.

Two of Aijna's men had carried me and now put me down. They don't look rested.

"Where are we?" I ask.

"Not far away from the Valley. How are you feeling, Po?" Mantis jumps to me and asks.

"Better. What have you done to me?"

"Something needed like it seems. Stand up; we are close to the village."

And so I stand up and run the rest of the way with them.

I notice that some of Aijna's guys look like they had carried me.

I need to apologize later.

We step on a hill and in front of us is lying the Valley of Peace.

Only that it didn't look like in my memory.

Everywhere could be seen soldiers in black. They had occupied the Valley and even the stairs up to the Jade Palace.

No!

Dad and the others.

"This looks horrible." Crane states.

"We need to free It.", I say.

"And how do you want to do that?" Aijna asks me.

I don't know.

"Maybe we should wait till night." Cien suggests.

"I see it exactly. On day we are seen too well by these guys. By night their superiority of numbers is not so heavy anymore as long we aren't seen." Aijna approves.

Cien seems to be happy cause of this.

So we waited till the night started and then sneaked to the village.

There are fewer soldiers on the roads now. Many of them had occupied the buildings, but there were still some guards and patrols.

Two of them, a rhino and something, which Aijna called Hippo, were guarding the closest entrance to the village between two buildings.

"How we get pass them?" Crane asks.

"I have a man for this. Skadaj you…" Aijna said, but gets interrupted, "Look!" Mantis says.

Cien was already pressed against the wall of one of the buildings. He sneaks to these guys and then bends down. He takes something from the ground and then throws it. It is a stone and it flies right behind the guards heads. It crosses their heads and hits another wall of the other building loud enough that these guys hear this.

"What?" they both turn around their heads, while Cien sneaks to them fast.

When they had turned their heads back, he states: "Surprise.", and hits both of their noses hard. And then he takes their heads and smashes them together. They faint.

"Awesome.", I state, while we sneaked to him.

"You idiot." states Aijna, "Skadaj could have immobilized them with his slingshot at once without risking to be seen."

"It worked or not?" he replies only.

She sighs.

"Let's go." I say and sneak as the first further.

There are everywhere patrols and guards. Sometimes they are mammals like the first guys, but there also birds, reptiles and insects. One of the last species, a fly, had seen us almost, because we hadn't seen him. Fortunately I stepped on him, before it could get worse.

We arrived at dad's Noodle Shop, where two guards were standing at the entrance, a grasshopper and a big lizard. In front of them always some guards were patrolling. Behind them we could see a bigger group of villagers and more.

"There is Tigress." Mantis realizes as first.

"They captured her. But where are the others?" Crane states.

"We need to get in there. But how?" I ask.

Then I look into the baffled faces of the others. Wait a minute…

"Where is Cien?"

We look around completely surprised. He was gone.

"There he is.", Aijna says and points to the Shop.

I look there and see that another guard is running to the guards. A feline.

….This is Cien!

"Guys, I have found two guards Knockout in this direction. There have to be intruders!", and the two and some others left in this direction, while Cien waits for a moment.

Then he waves to us.

We go there.

"Po!" Tigress says. She is chained.

"Po!" my dad says also.

"Guys, dad, are you alright?" I ask all of them. Here are some of the villagers, but no second of the Furious Five or Master Shifu and Master Li Sai.

"It works. You need to unchain me. Fast, before these guys come back."

"Ok.", I say and look at the lock.

"May I?" Cien asks after he had sprang one of his claws. He takes it in and opens the lock in a matter of a second.

"Tigress where are the others?" I ask her.

"They are spread around the village. They didn't want that we work together."

"We need to free them."

"Wait, Po. Who are these guys?"

"Allies.", Crane states as first.

Tigress accepts this: "Okay, Po. It would be better if we separate: Some take the villagers to a safe place, while the remaining go looking for the others. And you need to go the Jade Palace."

"Why?"

"They are here cause of the Dragon Scroll."

"The Scroll? Why?"

"I don't know. But whatever is the reason, they can't take it, when they need it. And Po, Tai Lung is by them."

"What!" Cien says shocked and startled.

Tigress eyes him warily.

"Okay I go. Free the others." I say and turn around already.

"Wait, I am coming with you." Cien says and follows me.

One of Aijna's guys stops us. He was keeping watch.

"These guys will see you." he says.

"Then it is time to distract them again." Aijna says and takes out a grenade.

"WOH! What will you do with this?" I ask her.

"Throw it of course. When I threw it, there will form a big smoke wall. The optimal chance to escape. It would be best, if the villagers would leave the village in this moment, while I and my guys will distract the guards."

"Understood.", Tigress and my dad, the self-proclaimed leader of this villager group, says.

Before she can throw it, Cien stops her arm.

"Look out for yourself, gorgeous." he mutters to her and I hear real concern in these words.

She looks at him startled and shakes her head at the end.

She shakes away his hand and then throws the grenade in the middle of the road and after a big bang, we see smoke coming out from there.

"Let's go guys." she yells and she and her men run into the smoke, while Crane, Mantis and Tigress run to the other buildings behind them dad and the villagers. I and Cien run to the stairs.

On the main place of the Valley we are welcomed by guards.

Two ravens fly at me and I dodge their attacks with their bills. I can grab one bill and throw this raven in a circular movement at the other. Then a wolf with a broad sword attacks me and I stop it between my palms and then kick the wolf away.

Cien has some problems with a halberd swinging pig and I run at it. He achieves to grab the halberd and I can kick the pig away.

"Further!" I say and we enter the stairs.

After the first 20 stairs he overtakes me.

"What are you waiting for, Po? Come!"

"Wait a minute…" I say after the 30th stair.

He grabs my hand and pulls me up.

At the lower level of the Jade Palace we encounter further enemies. I dodge the attack of a rhino by rolling away, but a swarm of gnats attacks me. Somehow I can hit all of them away, but not without some itching spots. The rhino gets support through a wildcat, but I can reflect the first one to a wall and the second defeat with a surprisingly effective combo of attacks. Then I look to Cien, who had beaten his soldiers. Cien looks around.

"The Jade Palace is in this direction." I point out the obvious.

"I know.", and we run further.

We enter the stairs to the Jade Palace and at its end Bai Fen is sitting.

He seems bored and was picking his nose.

We get into battle posture.

"Oh, you don't need to stress yourself, Fatty and…Blacky." he says to us in an amused manner, "I am not here to stop you."

"Then why are you here then?" Cien asks.

"I am only a messenger. Not a fighter. When you want Tian Yi, then go and take him. I will not interfere." he says and then lies himself on one stair in a relaxing manner.

We look at each other and then shrug.

We go further and enter the Jade Palace.

**To be continued in Chapter XIV:** Rematch

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.

Tomorrow there will be no update.


	15. Rematch

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter XIV:** Rematch

Valley of Peace.

It is so long ago I saw it the last time.

….It didn't change much.

"Home sick?" Tian Yi asks me while stepping besides me. He holds this odd blue-greenish metal staff behind his back again. And this odd sensation got another component: I see odd whirl around him. Black whirls.

"No. But I had never assumed to come back here." I reply.

Don't let yourself distract.

Here is the next step for my destiny.

Odd.

I thought it was the only one once.

We enter the village.

The villagers are shocked to see me.

They didn't see us come thanks to Tian Yis disguise techniques.

To capture them was easy.

Our army is simply too big.

And no one of the Kung Fu Defenders of this valley is here yet.

I and Tian Yi are going up the stairs to the Jade Palace. Bai Fen is following us like always.

Somehow this guy creeps me out.

Before we can enter the Jade Palace, a raven comes to us.

"Master Tian Yi. The Intelligence group is reporting that someone pursued us."

"Since when?" Tian Yi asks.

"Seems for a while already. They had hidden themselves rather good. We saw your brother by them."

"My brother? Then the remaining must be the Furious Five and Master Shifu….Hmmm…Send Adum with some men to defeat them."

"No.", I object, "I will defeat them. Where are they?"

"Not far away. They had followed us after all. We located them in a bamboo forest."

"I see." I can guess where they are. The bamboo forest is seen from here.

"Good. Go to the others and say them, they should not interfere in Tai Lungs fight. And bring the others to the Jade Palace.", Tian Yi ends the conversation.

"Understood, master." the Raven replies and flies away.

I look behind him.

"I ask myself, from where you have such an efficient intelligence group?"

"They joined me. They had worked for a famous Order in China, but after I had shown them who is better…."

"I see….The Dragon Scroll is on the roof at the end of the Hall. In the jaws of a golden Dragon. When not, I bet that it isn't far away from here."

He nods and I run down.

To cross the village last some time, also the distance between the Bamboo Forest and it.

The finding of them is somehow more difficult.

At the end I find them below me, like they are sneaking past the hill on which I am standing right now.

There are only five. Shifu, three of the Furious Five and another monkey. Probably his brother.

I roar so that they notice me.

"Tai Lung!" all of them shout at once.

I jump down with one of my foot in the front.

I crush the ground while they jump away.

I look at them. All of them seem to be surprised to see me. And a little scared.

"You look like you see a ghost." I state amused.

Shifu looks as the most terrified.

I close my eyes. I sense all their whirls.

I open them again and attack.

My first opponent is Tigress, because she is the one, whose body shape resembles mine the most and is in this way easiest to attack.

I attack her, while she dodges and tries to counterattack, but I don't allow it.

Then Monkey comes from behind her and jumps over her.

He thinks he had surprised me, but he is more than wrong.

He wants to kick me, but I grab him at his foot and spin him into Shifu who wanted to attack me from the side. In the same motion I whirl my kick at Tigress who can dodge it only with a narrow margin.

Then Viper attacks me with Crawling up my foot, but before she can use this to distract me from the front, I grab her neck and pull her up.

I use her like a Nunchaku to block Tigress and the brother's attacks.

Then I let her go directly into Tigress face and can block in the same motion the kick of the brother by stamping on his foot.

I attack him with my forefingers and block his chi in the important parts of the body and he collapses on the ground. Then I lift him and throw him at Monkey and Shifu who were attacking me again. Tigress and Viper were attacking me also, but I can block off their attacks and begin to immobilize them by hitting their chi spots. Then only Monkey and Shifu remain.

"Seems that you lost again, old man.", I say a little amused.

"How? How could this be? You were beaten." Shifu declares.

"Not so well beaten like you thought. I am back."

"Why are you here?"

"That you will never guess."

And I attack them again.

This time they surprise me by attacking simultaneously: Shifu in the air aiming at my head and Monkey on the ground aiming at my feet.

I can block the attack of Shifu with hitting him with my paw away, but get rushed from my feet cause of Monkey. I stand up with a whirlwind kick and then rush at Monkey. I sense like Shifu is running to the immobilized Tigress. I must react fast.

I block another kick of Monkey and then hit his Chi spots to immobilize him. Before he collapses I grab him and throw him again at Shifu, who crashes with him at the next tree.

I pant.

Victory.

After the fight I bring them back to the village. Carrying all of them was rather difficult, but I could achieve it.

"Separate them and gather every one of them with some villagers. In this way they will not be able to work together and can't risk escape without endangering the villagers." I command.

They get handcuffed and then separated on different groups of carriers.

"You will not get away with this." Shifu declares before he is brought away.

"I got away with this already and the Dragon Scroll is mine finally." I reply amused.

"The Dragon Scroll?"

"I said you would never guess the most obvious."

Then I turn away from them.

So this problem should be away now.

I take the first step to the Jade Palace, when someone talks to me from the side:

"Good Work, Leopard. Wouldn't have guessed that you beat your own comrades."

I recognize the familiar whirl. Adum.

I turn around to him.

He still seems injured.

"These were not my comrades." I correct him.

"Not? But isn't this your home town?"

It was.

Long ago.

…Odd like the destiny plays tricks on someone from time to time.

I go the stairs up again.

I see from the middle part of the Jade Palace the old training hall. And the Sleeping hall.

More than 20 years ago this was my home.

All I wanted was to make Shifu proud by becoming the Dragon Warrior.

…And make myself also proud in this way.

I look up to the Jade Palace.

There the betrayal occurred. The betrayal for what Shifu apologized already.

Loud breathing in.

I am not here to take my revenge.

This lies behind me.

Not important how good it felt to beat them up.

I am here, because it is the next step to my destiny.

The Dragon Scroll.

The next irony of the destiny.

I enter the Jade Palace.

Tian Yi is there and some guys in black cloaks and also Bai Fen standing in the shadows.

He yawns.

"How it looks like?" I ask them.

Tian Yi is still holding this odd staff and turns around to me. The black whirls around him are calmer than last time.

"It can last some time. Still. To know the code and to decode it are two parts of the same shoe. We need to be patient."

And so we waited.

We got to eat, but different from this there was nothing special happening.

With exception of this Bai Fen, I had nothing to do. This guy was looking always at me with this odd look. And I can say for sure say that this is no admiration like he stated. Also his whirl seems so….different. I can't classify it proper like the others. This is getting on my nerves.

We wait till night starts and torches are lightened.

"We have it.", Tian Yi then states.

He shows me the meaning of the Scroll.

"And you know where this is?" I say after I hand it over to Bai Fen for looking.

"No. Not yet. But I have an idea who could know it. For this we need to go to Gongmen City."

"Gongmen City? Not so…." I wanted to say, but then we hear a bang.

"What was that?"

"Seems that we got company." Tian Yi replies and turns around to Bai Fen, "Bai Fen look who it is."

"Okay.", the white tiger says still bored and then goes outside.

After some while he returns.

"It seems that we got intruders in the village." he says.

"Then let's stop them." I suggest and get prepared to go.

"No.", Tian Yi says and stops me, "Stay here. My soldiers are able to stop every intruder."

"And when this is Po?"

"Impossible. I beat him."

"That I thought more than once also when I fought him. Believe me. His strength is not never to lose, but still getting up, no matter how often you beat him. He is a living roly-poly doll."

He looks at me with a curious look.

"When you think so, I believe you. Then we need to make preparations. Guys give a signal to the others to retreat to the east. Bai Fen, go outside and stop them."

They do as ordered.

"You want to escape? We could beat them. In this way they will not be a problem anymore." I state annoyed.

"No, I think it is needed."

"Needed for what?"

"For fate." he looks at me with an odd look, "When this is the Dragon then it would be…."

I sense something familiar.

We get interrupted.

"Tai Lung and Tian Yi, we are here to punish you!" Po declares loud.

I look around. It is true. Cien is with him.

"We will not let you get away with the Scroll." Po continues talking in this – I think – Superhero manner.

I look back to Tian Yi.

He stares fascinated to Po and Cien.

"It is him…" he mutters.

I don't get it completely, but that is not important now.

I grab the Scroll from him.

He looks unsure.

"I don't like it, but for now, I play your game. I will buy some time. You can leave already. We know where we will meet again." I say to him, while turning back to the two.

"Understood, Tai Lung. Good Luck." Tian Yi states while leaving the Palace fast.

"Hey stop!" Po yells, but Cien stops him with one arm.

He looks…..disappointed.

"Why are you doing this, Tai Lung?" he asks me.

I grin. "Because it is my destiny."

"To fight against the Dragon Warrior over and over again?"

"No. These Scrolls are my destiny. I feel it. With all parts of my body."

"Even when you have to ally with this guy. He seems to be the Master of Adum."

"Oh you know this?"

"I saw this lion down in the village."

"It's not important. Adum was only a tool. Nothing more. And now I have even the chance to revive Thorn back to life, when I want to."

He shakes his head in disbelief. "Is this your reason? Are you crazy?"

"No. This power can do this."

"This has nothing to do with this! I was there when Thorn died. Have you forgotten already? He wanted to pass away. He wanted to rest in peace."

I hesitate. This is true.

But still I feel it.

This sensation must have been about what Thorn had spoken about.

To feel when the destiny is close.

"No matter. I will fulfill my destiny, if by reviving Thorn or not. And to find the city mentioned in this Scrolls is my destiny. But I give you still the chance to ally with me, Cien, cause of old friendship." I propose.

He lowers his head.

"No, Tai. I don't fight for guys who had killed someone I knew. I am not a traitor."

Somehow to hear these words, hurts me. I shake my head.

"This is your decision.", and then I attack.

Po is blocking my way. I try to hit several times, but he is able either to dodge or to block the attacks and can even counterattack.

He got better since the last time we fought.

His dodging, blocking and counterattacking are going more smoothly.

It seems that he has become a real Kung Fu Fighter.

Then I sense Cien.

He attacks me from behind, but I dodge it and he hits almost Po.

I grab his arm and toss him forwards, but Po dodges it and attacks me further. I need to dodge a punch directed at my head and then even need to step back to dodge an upwards swinging paw. Then I step forward and clench my fists.

I attack him with full strength against his belly…..

Wasn't there something?

Oh yeah….Oh no!

Not this again.

He reflects the attack and I fly backwards hit by my own punch energy.

I stand up fast and attack with a kick. He dodges it and I fly into Cien.

Cien also dodges my attack somehow by jumping above me and stopped himself sliding on the ground further afar.

I land on my feet and then get attacked by both. Kicks and punches hit me or I can dodge them. They are no serious damage for me, but still I can't come out of this defensive position.

Then I whirlwind kick them to get distance.

These guys don't even try to surprise me anymore. They attack directly. I redirect a punch of Po and kick Cien into his face and send him backwards. Then I rush Po of his feet with the motion of the same kick and jump backwards.

My blood is boiling to fight them further. My claws inch. I lick my teeth. This fight gets interesting.

….

I hear the sound of a horn.

Damn Tian Yi!

When I get enough distance, I say "I would fight against you further, but now is not the right time for this. We see us again.", and I turn around to leave the Jade Palace.

"Hey wait!" Po shouts still, but I leave the Jade Palace.

**To be continued in Chapter XV:** To the East

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.

Somehow the story develops faster than earlier.


	16. To the East

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter XV:** To the East

Tai Lung you jerk.

You don't get away.

I capture you.

We follow you down the stairs.

And we corner you down at the village's main free area.

"We don't let you get away!" Po shouts at him.

We circle each other.

Then I see it.

The road down Aijna and her gang were fighting.

Or better said only she is still standing. All the others are beaten by Adum and some of his men.

Damn!

He notices it also.

"Seems so that your gorgeous vixen is in danger, Cien.", he tempts me.

Grrr..

I rush at him.

He attacks me by jumping in a kicking manner at me.

I slide below this kick and grab the Scroll, which is at his pants.

I don't turn around anymore, when I purse the Scroll into my jacket and run to her.

I draw my sword and can block in time the attack of a Rhino at the kneeing Aijna.

I push the spear of the Rhino back and am ready to fight.

Adum speaks to me: "You again panther. Hmph…I have no time to deal with you right now. Guys, it is time to leave."

And they turn around and leave the place.

I don't even think about pursuing them, when I turn around to Aijna.

She is injured at her side and is holding her hand there.

I knee down to her.

"Seems that my remaining gang died also now?", she says in a sad amused sound.

Then she faints and falls into my arms.

Damn!

I need to find this Chinese mantis. I take her on my arms and run out of the village.

It is almost completely empty.

Here and there I find a soldier of Tian Yi, but he leaves me without caring for me.

All of them are running in the same direction.

Outside of the village I find the villagers and this Furious Five.

"Hey, I need help here!", I yell at them and the mantis with a viper come rushing at me.

"I think she lost much blood.", I say to them.

"It's okay we care for her.", the viper says to me.

"Where is Po?", Tigress demands to know from me.

"Don't know. Had to leave him with Tai Lung." I reply still looking at her.

She grabs my collar.

"Why?"

I look into her eyes. I see worry there. Big worry.

But she hides this rather fast.

I see.

I point out at Aijna.

She looks to her and then nods.

"We need to help him. Follow me!", she says and rushes back to the village.

First I run not turning away of Aijna, but at the end I rush behind Tigress.

We don't meet enemies anymore.

"Where are they?", she asks me.

"A horn signaled retreat.", I explain.

"Retreat? Why?"

"Ask me a simpler question."

Then we arrive at the place where Aijna's gang is lying.

We stop and then inspect every one of them.

All of them are dead.

Damn!

We search further in the village.

At the end we find Po completely sad and alone sitting in the darkness of the night.

"He got away.", he says, "With the Scroll. Wherever we don't know."

"Not with the Scroll.", I state and pull it out, "Have stolen it during the slide."

That lightens up Po's mien.

After this we searched the whole village. Completely empty.

We allowed the villagers to get back to their houses.

In the Jade Palace we wanted to gather.

There I hid myself into a corner, from where I can see a pool in front of me.

Damn Tai Lung!

Your destiny is with this guy? Fine!

I have to do my own thing.

And when you are my enemy in this I will crush you.

The Furious Five, a red panda, a monkey and Po are gathering already in the center of the Palace.

They chat about the Dragon Scroll in Po's hand.

And a stone from the stairs in the red panda's hand.

I get up and go to them.

"What can this mean? Is this a riddle or what?", the red panda says.

"Hey, Mantis.", I make myself conspicuous by the mantis, "How is Aijna?"

The red panda looks at me surprised.

"Who are you?", he demands to know.

"Don't worry, Master Shifu he is an ally.", Po calms him down, "His name is Cien."

Master? This small panda?...Whatever.

He looks at me warily.

I chuckle cause of this obvious sign of distrust.

"She is doing well." Viper answers my question, "She is in the Sleeping Hall, although she isn't sleeping. We treated her wounds, but I believe that the loss of her gang hit her harder than the wounds."

"I will go looking for her.", I say and want to leave the Jade Palace.

"Wait!", Shifu stops me, "When you are our ally, then maybe you can help us.", I turn around, "Our enemy wanted to have this Scroll, but now it is in our hands. But we don't know why he wanted it, because we have here something like a riddle. Po, show it to him."

He gives me the Dragon Scroll. It is a golden mirroring surface, but there is also something written down on it in very smooth letters. They are disappearing already.

12 15 9 22 23 15 12 15 5 22 17 14 7 19 12 18 20 16 26 12 4 21 15 3 7 21 20 11 18 15 7 2 18 6 19 16 7 1 8 8 17 5 12 5 15 9 23 22 1 11 1 1 21 22 22 23 10 7 25 20 17 25 11 7 9 16 18 6 22 11 23 18 3 17 22 8 2 9 22 12 25 8 11 23 21 15 25 9 23 25 17 23 1 14 12 14 6 10 3 24 25 8 7 23 6 13 7 16 10 22 7 16 6 19 22 12 10 5 22 9 23 14 3 16 12 15 6 15 2 20 26 12 1 9 10 8 8 23 22 10 18 15 12 15 2 12 3 22 24 3 26 22 24 15 12 23 11 12 26 24 24 1 5 22 23 5 18 11 1 15 23 23 14 5 9 16 8 14 22 23 25 5 22 3 10 8 9 9 25 8 21 7 9 5 3 22 18 21 22 1 24 19 14 15 21 18 1 21 2 17 6 6 19 3 5 8 24 12 21 6 22 18 12 19 26 23 26 8 10 18 11 7 22 7 22 4

"Numbers.", I mutter.

"You know these signs?", Shifu asks me.

"These are numbers. From India or so. At least I saw them on papers of an Indian merchant." I explain.

"I see."

"This don't bring us further.", Po states.

"I know. And do you know what this is?" Shifu gives me the stone.

I take it, while giving back the Scroll.

There are scratched letters. Latin letters.

Latin? Oh damn. Remember what your dad taught you about Latin.

….

Yes. I can read it.

….

Interesting.

"Can I have the Scroll and something to write on?" I ask.

They seem to be irritated, but Shifu orders Monkey to bring something.

Meanwhile I hold the Scroll against the next torch. The stone was right. The numbers are seen better now. I try to read the Scroll.

Fascinating. A riddle written on a very old Scroll. With modern languages? The author had to be a genius.

Monkey brought an empty paper scroll and a brush with thick black ink.

"What are you doing?" Shifu asks me warily.

I don't bother to answer. I get to work.

"Master Shifu asked you something." Tigress supports the old panda.

"You will know when I am ready.", I reply.

It last a rather longer while and the others were bored already. Only Tigress and Shifu were still standing and the others did something to relax or different things. But one could see the boredom as well on these two.

"I have it.", I reply finally.

All of them stand immediately.

"What do you have?", Tigress demands to know.

"These numbers were an encoding of a message. I decoded it."

And then I read it aloud:

This is the scroll of the Dragon, the source to the City of the Star.

The source to endless power.

With this power you will be at the same level as the eternal God.

With this power you will decide over Life and Death of everyone.

The Power is there where a real Dragon of more glorious times resided.

I read to the end. All of them were a little irritated.

"The power of the eternal God. Tian Yi talked about something also." Po states.

"This is not important now, Po. Our enemies want to have this power. We need to stop them.". Shifu says.

"But for this we need to know, where a real Dragon of more glorious times resided.", Monkey says, "One an idea?"

All of them are quiet.

I sigh.

"Maybe I have a guess.", I say finally.

"And what would that be?", the other monkey asks me.

"Po, in which direction Tai Lung escaped?"

"Eh, I think to the east."

"Then this thing must be located somewhere in the east. Is there no place, where legends tell that a dragon lived once?"

"No, there are legends. But there lies the problem: There are too many. And no one knows which are correct.", Shifu explains.

"I know someone who can know about this.", we hear a voice from behind.

We turn around.

My gorgeous vixen was standing there. She had bandages around her waist, but now I could see her without her cloak or hood. Her hair is long, has a shape of waves and gets down till the back. And her reddish-brown tail is fluffy and somehow elegant. She wears similar clothes like Tigress, but in black and without the pictures on it.

"You know someone? Who?", Shifu demands to know.

"A friend. She knows most of these old legends about the eastern regions of China."

"Where we can find her?"

"In Gongmen City."

"I see….You need to prepare. You will go to Gongmen City, while I stay here and try to contact more masters and defend the people of the valley. Because of our too hasty departure last time, we had forgotten, that the village could be in danger. That can't happen a second time."

All of them nod in agreement.

I go to Aijna.

"How do you feel?"

She looks at me.

"How do you think I feel?", she replies in an annoyed manner.

"I suppose not so good." I give her a smile to cheer her up somehow.

She shakes her head.

"Do you can even imagine, what I am feeling right now?"

I lower my eyes.

Memories come back.

Anger is rising again.

"Never forget." her last words come back again.

I press my fists together.

I look at Aijna's eyes with a serious look.

"I can. Better than you can imagine.", I answer with a colder voice than I wanted.

She looks at me with a different look.

A look which you share with someone, you have a bond with.

We keep silent and grieve together.

**To be continued in Chapter XVI:** Gongmen City

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda" (c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.

And yeah I noticed the self-laudation, although when I wrote it the first time I didn't notice it. ;P


	17. Gongmen City

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter XVI:** Gongmen City

I visit him.

There he sits, captive in his own room.

Two pupils are standing there to guard him.

"Let us alone." I order them and they leave us silently.

He turns around to me. His silver-golden fur is reflecting the sun.

I stare at him without saying a word.

"Why?" is the first word I can squeeze out, "Why have you done this, son?"

His eyes show sad surprise, but only short. Then he lowers them.

"When you don't know, it is useless to tell." he replies muttering.

I get angry.

"Why have you done this? Have you forgotten everything I taught you?" I demand to know.

He keeps silent.

"Have you lost your mind?" I demand further answers, but he still shuts his mouth.

I turn away from him.

"Tell me. Maybe I can change the sentence then…" I plead more than ordering.

He keeps silent.

….

Damn!

I go away.

I get pulled back from this picture.

This was the last time I saw him before he escaped.

And now?

What I haven't seen back then?

I open my eyes.

Or whatever a spirit like me has.

I see a city.

A big city.

It looks familiar.

It is night.

Tian Yi is alone on the street and is going somewhere.

"Where are we?" I ask.

I have no mouth anymore, but I know that he can hear me. As well as he is the only who can see me.

"Ah, you awoke, old man….We are in Gongmen City.", he replies with his thoughts.

I leave the back of him and look around.

No frontiers. The only good thing of being a spirit.

Although I can't go too far away from him.

We are somewhere in the Docks.

"Why are we here?"

"To get information."

He wears a black hood above his head. He must be more a shadow in this darkness.

"Why are you doing this?" I ask him. A question I asked him over and over again.

I still don't know why he killed me.

Why he is searching for this power.

What his goal is.

And I get always the same answer.

"When you don't know, it is useless to tell."

So I should know this?

I am a spirit and the only thing with except of him, which is holding me in this world, are my memories. But I still can't find the memory about which he is talking.

What is the reason?

I still don't get it.

We reach a tavern.

"You stay here." he says to no one in particular.

But I know he means his intelligence group. They are following him everywhere.

We enter the tavern.

It is rather full.

And I bet when I would have different senses than my eyes although about these I am not sure also I would have smelled the stinking of the seamen, who are spending their time here, and I would have sensed the hot atmosphere, which is everywhere.

He goes to the bar.

I look around. Many boars, wolves, wildcats, and other scum is found here. There is only one exception: a vixen with beautiful purple-brown short hair and brownish fur. She has a green-bluish headband and is competing with some of the seaman in arm wrestling. And she seems to be the winner. She looks like a jewel in a full pile of shit.

We arrive at the bar. The barman is an albatross with a cigar in his mouth.

"I am searching Mituan." Tian Yi says to him.

The barman points out to a backdoor right beside the bar with his head. Tian Yi follows the lead.

We go the wooden stairs down and reach a smoky room. At the end of the stairs are standing two boars, grim looking and much more ugly than the ones we saw in the bar. In the middle of the room is a divider out of silk and wood. Behind it is lightened a candle and that's why we can see a shadow behind it.

"Who is it, who wants to know something from me?" the shadow asks him. The voice has something mysterious on it.

"My name is Tian Yi. And I need information about a specific topic."

"Everyone wants this. But I don't give information to strangers. Go away. I need to check you."

The boars are going to Tian Yi in a manner that shows that they want to throw him out.

Bad idea.

I feel like the other spirits of Tian Yi are awakening. He grabs the first boar's throat and then the second's. He lifts them up and that although they are bigger than him. The first he throws into a corner and the second he kicks away, so he crashes into a wall head ahead.

Tian Yi has not used all the spirits for this. These boars had luck.

"You misunderstand. I am not here for a request. I am here because I command that you answer my questions." Tian Yi says and steps closer to the divider.

"Wait! Don't come closer! I will tell you, what you want." the shadow answers a little hysterical.

Tian Yi stops in front of the divider.

"I want to know the location, where a dragon lived once. Of more glorious times. A real dragon." Tian Yi explains his information.

The shadow remains quiet. It smokes an odd longish pipe, while thinking.

"I have some locations in mind. Want to hear all?"

"No, only the ones eastern of the Valley of Peace. And maybe also one, which is not a tourist attraction or something where people live close."

"I see. In whole China there is only one such location."

"Where is it?"

"It is called the Dragon's Lair. It is an isle eastern from here. Only the most experienced captains know the exact location."

"I see."

Tian Yi seems to prepare for something.

No!

"Stop it!" I demand.

He ignores me.

Fortunately something different stops him. The door from the bar bursts open and I see a Crane coming down. He wears black pants.

"What is it?" Tian Yi demands to know. It is one of his intelligence group.

"They are here, master. The others are trying to stop them."

Tian Yi seems surprised.

"So fast? How could they find us so fast?"

"I don't know. Should I contact the army?"

Tian Yi shakes his head.

"No. We leave. Now."

Another thing I still don't get: Why is he allowing the Dragon Warrior to live although he had tried already once to kill him? What is going on in your head, son?

He crashes through the next wall and leaves this place rather fast.

**To be continued in Chapter XVII:** Different Paths

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda(c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.


	18. Different Paths

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter XVII:** Different Paths

We got rather fast to Gongmen City.

Faster than last time. But still we had some time to talk. And think.

We are again on a ship cruising through this river.

I am standing on the rail of the bow.

Last time I thought about my dad.

Now I have time to think about the offer of Tian Yi.

When this power really is existing, then it would be good to have it. Never again the wrong people would die. And the right people could be brought back. Such a power could do many good things in this world.

"Po.", a familiar voice behind me speaks to me. I turn my head around.

"Ah, Tigress." I state and turn back to the water in front of me.

"Again problems with sleeping?"

"Yeah, sort of."

She steps besides me.

"Want to talk?"

I reconsider this.

"No, better not." I shake my head.

"Last time it helped to talk." she reminds me.

I sigh.

"It is about this power. The power over Life and Death…I don't know, if what we are doing is right."

"What do you mean?" she asks me rather surprised.

"Don't misunderstand me. I want to stop Tian Yi. For all he did and could do with such a power. But this power itself could be….needed."

"You think death is unjustified?"

"Yeah. I saw twice how one died. One of them still lives and somehow I feel good about this. The second one…had the chance to live. When I would have been more convincing. If he lived still, he could live a better life."

She keeps silent for a while.

"Maybe, but you can't know. He has decided to fight you. That you said to us yourself."

"But only because I couldn't convince him."

"I don't think so. Maybe you have convinced him and that is why he fought you."

"This is wishful thinking."

"And what you are doing, is pessimistic thinking." a voice interrupts us.

We turn around and Master Li Sai is standing there.

"Sorry that I eavesdropped you, but somehow I feel that I need to say something in this matter."

He goes to the other side of me.

"Listen Dragon Warrior. You can't bear the Life and Death of everyone on your shoulders. Everyone has his own will. And when he decided to fight you then he did this of his own free will. You should respect this."

"But…but…"

"Po, everyone has to deal with this. Even I and the Furious Five and Master Shifu had to deal with the fact, that we couldn't stop our enemies without killing them.", Tigress says.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"But how you can live with this feeling that you are responsible for….murder?"

She lowers her head.

"It isn't easy. You have to deal with this every day of the rest of your life. And you need to accept it."

"Accept it?"

"That it is a fact that can't be changed."

"But it isn't a fact anymore. We can reverse it with this power."

"But what good you would do with this? Bring back the criminals so they can do their wrongdoings again?" Li Sai says.

"But what about the good guys? My parents for example. Or guys who could change. Everyone has the right for a second chance."

"I understand how you feel and there would be no more important thing for me than bringing my father back to life. But there are too many variables in this thing. We still don't know how this power works. If it works. And…there is another thing..."

"What thing?"

He looks at the water now also.

"My father died, because he fought, for what he believed. Never surrender to an enemy. What sense his death would have, when I could bring him back? What sense death of everyone would have, when it would be able to reverse?" he sighs, "I don't believe that this power, if it exists, is able to bring back all the dead. Most often it depends on the one who is using it. And that a mortal can't be righteous the whole time, when he has such a power, my brother proves more than anyone else. And we don't know if the righteous is the right to bear such a power.

This power will not bring justice, but destroy the order of things. No one can foresee how this would end."

I look down.

I sigh.

"But there is still this feeling of….failing. And with this power I would able to restart."

"Po.", Tigress grabs my shoulder, "No one is perfect. Even the Dragon Warrior not. Every one can only do what he can do with all his might. And you have done everything you could. And even more."

"But..."

"You can only look forward. You failed once or twice…this isn't matter. It matters only that you are willing to prevent it the next time. When you try it is better than do nothing. That is the difference between a murderer and us." Li Sai says to me.

I nod.

It still leaves a bad taste.

But they are right. I must look forward. The today is important.

We arrive at Gongmen City finally.

I and the Furious Five wanted to meet up with the Kung Fu Council, but Li Sai, Cien and Aijna wanted to go to this guy immediately, although it is night.

By the way Aijna and Cien look like a real couple now, although she denies it and he makes jokes about this.

We go to the Docks of the City. It remembers me of our victory over Shen. No one of his ships is seen there anymore.

When we get closer to a tavern, Aijna and Tigress stop us.

"We are not alone." they say in unison.

We look around and Cien detects them as first.

"On the roof."

He and I climb upwards, as well as the others behind us.

Aijna is still not in her best form, but better than in the valley still.

On the roof we find many different species in dark clothes.

"Who are you?" I demand to know.

They don't reply, but instead attack us.

…Okay in some way this is also an answer.

We attack back. I block the kick of a monkey and need to defend myself simultaneously against the horn attack of a deer. The not flat roof of these buildings doesn't make it easier to dodge their attacks. I almost fall down from them.

I block the attack of the deer by redirecting his horn to the roof, while I can punch the monkey away. Then I lift up the deer and throw him at his comrades, helping in this way Aijna, who is fighting alongside Cien. She is using a short sword in the fight.

The monkey gets attacked by Viper, while a raven attacks me from above and is pricking my head.

Ow!

Ouch!

Monkey jumps on my back and attacks this raven.

Then a snake attacks me. First with fast thrust attacks of his tail, but then he changes to his head and teeth. Fortunately I can redirect the teeth attack of a snake in time. Then I grab the head of the snake and use his teeth as a deterrent against his comrades. In this way I can stop the attack of a Lemur, while kicking him away in the same motion. Then I globe the snake – head in the middle – and throw him at few of the black enemies.

Then we hear a horn signal. Again.

They all try to escape.

A feline tries to jump down from the roofs, but I can grab his foot.

He tries to get free by punching me, but I can dodge and block the attacks. Finally I come into a position, from where I can lift him up with his foot above me.

I crush him at the roof, which is why the others jump on him.

But the other enemies can escape.

We take the feline to the ground.

"Where is Tian Yi?" Tigress demands to know from him.

"Out of your reach already." the feline, who seems to be a lynx, replies smirking.

Cien notices something and rips open the feline's shirt with his sword. There is a sign branded on his chest. Something like an abstract version of a Claw.

"You belonged to the Order of the Black Claw!" Cien shouts at him.

What is the Order of the Black Claw?

"And what if? I tell you nothing!" the lynx replies.

Cien beats him in the belly.

"Hey, we don't torture people!" I shout at him.

Cien turns around to me. His eyes look different. I can recognize blazing hatred.

He breathes in and out several times.

His mien normalizes.

"We should deliver him to the Master's Council. He will not tell us, what we want to know." Li Sai suggests.

"Wait.", Cien stops us and turns around to the lynx, "I have only one question to you: Is there a guy called Moc in your army?"

Who is Moc?

The lynx looks a little startled, but then smiles in a knowing manner.

"I know him."

"Is he with you or not?"

"And what if I don't say it?"

Cien comes closer to him. Somehow it feels colder, while he whispers something to his ear. The lynx whispers back. His face is unreadable, with exception that something changed.

"He is not part of Master Tian Yi's army." the lynx replies finally.

"I see." Cien says and turns around. He goes away to the close river.

We all looked startled.

Aijna follows him.

I and the other look at each other and shrug.

After some while Aijna comes back.

"We should go to my friend. She knows what we want to know. He wants to be alone now."

"I see. Did he said, what this Order is?" Tigress asks.

"No, he has something different in mind right now." Aijna replies.

We nod.

Cien stays behind looking at the dark river and walking along it, while we enter the tavern. Mantis and Viper stay behind with the lynx. It is rather full.

We go to the bar.

"Stan, how are you doing?" Aijna talks to the albatross barman. This one looks up and begins to smile.

"When this isn't the little Aijna Dragonfox. Long time not seen. How is the desert?"

"Dry. Is Lady Mituan there?"

"Yeah, but she had a problematic guest a short while ago. You should be cautious better."

"I will."

"When this is not my little sister!" we hear a louder voice from behind us. We turn around and see another vixen with a green headband, a red vest and brown pants. But more fascinating was here resemblance to Aijna.

"Sis, I hoped you would be here." Aijna says and hugs her.

Sisters? That explains it rather completely.

"Guys, I want to introduce you my twin sister: Sijna."

We greet her.

"What brings you from your desert to Gongmen City? Miss the wet air?" Sijna asks her.

"A longer story. To shorten it: I need to see Lady Mituan."

"I see. I come with you then. When someone wants to see Lady Mituan this is not a good sign."

We enter the cellar of the tavern.

It looks odd. There are two holes on the other side and the only thing, which looks somehow normal, is the divider in the room, although this should look the most of all odd.

A shadow behind it, yells at us: "I don't want to be seen! Go away!"

Two injured boars try to lift themselves from their sitting barrels, but can't achieve this.

We look at each other with an odd look.

Aijna steps forward.

"Lady Mituan, It is me, Aijna."

The Shadow seemed to have turned around.

"Aijna! Finally a friendly face. This is a rather inappropriate moment right now. Could you come again later?"

"We can't.", Tigress steps forward, "We are in a hurry."

"Who is this…kitten?" the shadow asks us.

Somehow I feel like Tigress doesn't like this address.

"A friend, Lady Mituan. And she is right. We are pursuing a black monkey."

"A black monkey? This guy!"

"You know him?"

"He was the guy who had beaten up my guards, this jerk!"

"What he wanted to know?"

"The location where a Dragon lived once. A real one and eastern from the Valley of Peace."

"Do you can tell us, where this is?"

"Yes, I can."

"What we need to pay?" Aijna asks after a short break of silence.

Pay? About this Aijna didn't tell us. We look at each other shocked. No one of us has much money with us.

"Only one thing: Find this guy and punish him for his insult! He is on the way to Dragon' Lair."

We sigh relieved.

"Thank you, Lady Mituan.", Aijna says and turns around to us, "Sijna, do you know where this is?"

"Yes."

"Can you bring us there?"

"Of course." Sijna replies smiling.

We leave the tavern and meet up with Mantis and Viper.

I look to the river, but no seems to be there.

"Where is Cien?" I ask.

"He will not come with us." Aijna replies.

"What?"

"He said, his target is not here. He went to find it."

"Target? I thought he would help us against Tai Lung and the others?"

"I thought so too, but this is not the case."

I look to the horizon.

No one is seen.

I shake my head after a while.

We need to go.

**To be continued in Chapter XVIII:** Dragon's Lair

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda(c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.


	19. Dragon's Lair

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter XVIII:** Dragon's Lair

Our ship is full.

Tian Yi had three ships. From where I don't want to know. But they are still fuller than full.

Likewise I don't like the fact that he is on his own ship and in this way too far away from me to talk with him. He still doesn't want to talk with me about the reason, why he wanted that Po should stay alive, although he tried to kill him once. Also he doesn't want to talk about Gongmen City.

This is getting on my nerves.

So much I don't know.

I know that finding this city is my destiny. But what then?

And now we are cruising to an island, which is called Dragon's Lair. He doesn't tell me much about this either.

I begin to doubt that my alliance with this guy was a good idea.

We are on the way already for three days and still nothing to see with except the two other ships behind us and the sea.

"Still angry?" a familiar voice ask me.

I am standing at the bow, while Bai Fen is stepping closer to me.

Another thing which is getting on my nerves: This guy seems to be my babysitter.

"Guess.", I reply.

He steps besides me.

"I thought you would be happy. We are so close to fulfill your destiny."

His tail is wagging.

"Yes. My destiny is to find the city. And that is close."

He seems startled.

"Finding the city only? What is about the power?"

I stare at his red eyes. Also his tail becomes annoying.

I grab it and squeeze it hard.

I think I heard a quiet meow.

"This power is not interesting me. As well as giving it to someone, who changes his decisions as fast as your master Tian Yi did. As well as I have my doubts about you. Where were you, when you should have stopped Po and Cien?"

He squeezes his eyes cause of the pain.

"Following orders."

"Following orders? Somehow I don't think that letting them through is following your order to stop them."

Suddenly his whirls change.

Then I sense a paw close to my pants.

I look down. His claws are out and much too close to me.

I look up again. He looks at me with serious look.

I let his tail go.

"I know better what my orders are, Tai Lung.", he says to me with an odd voice.

I don't hesitate when my paw is rushing at his neck, claws exposed.

I stop maybe a centimeter from his throat.

"Threat me again and you will know what it is to lose all your claws one by one."

He looks surprised and shocked. But not scared.

He lets air out of his nose. He grins, before turning away.

This guy is….different.

I sigh.

After this I had my peace.

We arrived at Dragon's Lair at the morning of the next day.

The isle is nothing more than a rock. On it is seen grass, bushes and some trees, but nothing special. We circle the isle until I can see our goal.

At the cliff of the isle is a cave. As high as the isle is the entrance. In front of it are peaky stones reaching out of the water, which resemble teeth. The upper parts of the cave entrance had stalactites, which also looked like teeth. The whole entrance resembles the jaws of a Dragon.

I see why it is called Dragon's Lair.

"We need to change to row boats." Bai Fen says to me and I follow him.

The other ships had also left a single row boat in the water, while the other parts of Tian Yi's army are staying at the ship.

Maneuvering through the teeth is everything but stabile. The first time I become seasick.

Annoyingly Bai Fen stays completely calm and grins at me.

…Grrrr…

At the end we arrive at a sandy bank in the middle of the Dragon's Jaws.

The cave is completely empty. Not taking into account the sand, rocks and stones of course. The men of Tian Yi are looking around with torches.

"And here it should be?" I ask Tian Yi, while going to him. Adum is standing not far from him and he has this staff again in his hands. The whirls around him form an odd looking black cloud.

"Probably.", is his unsure answer.

He is so unsure since we left the Jade Palace.

And this guy had convinced me that he knows what my destiny is? Almost not to believe.

I look around.

"Here is nothing."

"Don't be hasty. Of course it can't be seen with normal senses. When it would then the dozens of pirates, who had visited the island had found it."

"Pirates visited it?"

"Yeah, an idle hideout or not?" he lowers his head in a thinking manner, "Maybe your way of seeing can find it."

I go into the middle of the cave and close my eyes.

And begin to concentrate.

I sense all of Tian Yi's men. Also the air in this cave. It is dependent on the weather from outside.

I concentrate more.

….

I have something.

I go there.

It is a rock. A giant rock on the ground.

I knee down.

I sense a weak air stream below it.

"Below this rock is something." I say.

The men of Tian Yi come and begin to lift the rock.

This time I can't sense a hidden mechanism and that's why I need to wait.

More than half a dozen of them are needed to lift it.

After some while they had lifted the rock up and free the view to stairs.

I step down and reach a chamber.

It resembles the chamber in the mountains. A library full of old destroyed scrolls and cupboards.

I sense the needed Scroll.

I go there and grab it.

It has a silver color and like the others it is completely empty.

"Torch!" I order and one of the men throws it in front of me.

I throw the scroll on the torch.

It last a while, but then the numbers are seen.

23 8 26 3 13 10 23 8 2 18 12 3 25 10 3 12 7 2 19 25 11 8 6 26 20 25 15 23 6 21 18 20 15 24 6 23 8 22 13 13 11 2 15 23 4 12 22 22 20 18 2 16 5 2 13 26 15 14 1 20 18 21 20 25 9 10 22 16 17 22 19 24 13 5 22 14 22 24 16 18 2 2 20 14 23 25 5 24 19 10 11 22 18 11 18 14 21 2 14 11 7 6 21 22 9 13 2 18 23 20 11 1 15 8 20 15 19 19 14 16 16 20 14 23 7 7 11 22 3 15 8 12 18 23 20 14 19 6 23 18 18 20 14 13 12 10 4 24 9 21 5 12 24 21 15 2 18 25 15 25 24 13 5 24 5 23 20 1 13 19 2 24 20 10 19 13 20 20 9 7 24 20 6 13 12 10 19 24 5 14 20 16 13 17 12 21 9 11 15 14 18 9 15 7 7 10 1 26 5 13 14

"Look shorter than the last ones." I comment.

"There are only four words left. Guys get to work." Tian Yi says and orders his black intelligence group. I heard they had lost one in Gongmen City. And others are too injured to work.

I hope for them, that they are still as efficient as before.

I and Tian Yi step out of the chamber.

"So it is time to talk clear now, while we wait. I have some questions."

He had lowered his head for thinking and lifts it up now.

"Then start."

"First I want to know: Why haven't we beaten Po and his allies back in the Valley? They were alone against an army. Not counted you and me."

He turns his head away from me.

"I said you the melody. Didn't you notice that the name Dragon is mentioned there four times?"

"Of course I noticed, but so what?"

"Twice the number of the word Light and Shadow, who have an important role in this adventure, and you hadn't the idea that he is maybe needed for the search even?"

I grumble.

"Don't play me for a fool. Of course this idea shot into my mind once. But you have even tried to kill him, so it seems that you haven't thought about this long enough."

"I have. And I have controlled my power instinctively, so that he could survive the attacks."

"Yeah somehow I can't believe you."

He looks at me with a creepy look.

"Not? Then how did you explain the fact, that we found Shadow in this way?"

"Shadow?"

"Cien, your panther friend. He is Shadow. And with the help of the Dragon he will come to us here. We will wait for them." he turns around and stretches out his arms, "This cave is the ideal trap for them. My men are preparing already for this."

You know the feeling when you know that someone is talking bullshit?

This feeling I have now.

It sounds like he wants to justify his actions by telling you that all was planned.

I don't think that my alliance will hold much longer.

This guy is too unpredictable for such a power.

Difficult to imagine, what someone like he would do with this power, we are searching here.

"Tell me your further questions." he requests from me.

"What happened in Gongmen City? From where you know this location?"

"I met an old and knowing person. She has the knowledge about such things."

"Is this all?"

"More information is not needed."

I growl.

Adum steps to me.

"Hey, guard your tongue, leopard." he grabs my shoulder.

I grab his wrist and spin it on his back. He moans.

"I don't have time to play with you, Adum. So don't get on my nerves."

I let him go.

"Further questions?" Tian Yi asks, if nothing happened.

I think of one.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I said it already."

"No bullshit now about fate and so on! What is the reason, why you are doing this?"

He looks at me with a very creepy look. I get into battle posture.

"I have my reasons." he replies in a cold manner and turns away.

I begin to relax.

This monkey is crazy!

I need to look out. For whatever reason he wants to find it, it doesn't look like one I would like.

We wait for the decoding.

I regret this alliance.

This guy keeps too much to himself.

"We have it.", a raven of the group tells us after a longer while.

I was leaning against a rock during this and get up now.

Tian Yi reads it as first.

"So what is written there?" I ask.

He reads aloud:

"This is the scroll of Light and Shadow, the source to the City of the Star.

Only when Light and Shadow merge your goal can be found.

There where Darkness reigns and Light has become a myth is the City of the Star.

On the deepest point of the earth, in the deepest point of the sea it will be found once again."

Again such a cryptic statement of place. Although this time it is more precise than the last ones.

"You know where this is?" I begin to ask, but then sense something.

A familiar sensation. Or better said the missing of one. One of Tian Yi's men.

I concentrate and found them.

"We have company." I say.

This was enough to let them leave their hideouts.

Po, the Furious Five, Tian Yi's brother and Aijna, the vixen, are attacking us. She is the most confusing member of this party for me.

"We will bring you to justice!" Po shouts.

Our army is not so big like in the valley, so they have a fair chance.

I grin.

I get ready for a fight.

"No.", Tian Yi stops me and then closes his eyes.

I sense these odd whirls around him again. But this time much stronger than the last time.

I can even see them with my eyes. The similarity to a black cloud, which is surrounding him, is more than fitting.

Then it explodes into pieces. One big black cloud at a time flies against one of our enemies and surrounds him in a manner of a rope.

I watch like all our enemies get captured.

Then I look at Tian Yi. He seems older. And his fur looks….brighter.

"What the hell was that?" I demand to know.

He is panting.

"Only my power. Bring all of them to me."

They get carried to us. Tian Yi had even made sure that their mouths are hidden behind this black cloud.

What the hell is this?

It looks like it is living.

….

Was this a face?

"The Shadow is not here." Tian Yi says after he had recovered a little.

I look at the faces and see that he is right.

"Seems that something didn't go according to your plan." I say not without a little spitefulness.

He seems unsure.

He waves with one of his hands and the cloud on Aijna's mouth comes back to him.

"Where is he?" he shouts at her.

"Who?" she asks unsure.

"The panther! Shadow!"

"Don't know and even when not don't want to say it you." she says provokingly.

Tian Yi slaps her cheek.

He waves with another hand and the cloud around Po's mouth comes back to him.

"Where is he? When you don't tell me, I'll kill her.", and to underline his statement his hand forms a claw which is close to her throat now.

"Don't tell him!" she shouts at him. For a bandit princess she has courage.

Po seems unsure.

The others are mumbling through the clouds to him. Probably they repeat the advice of Aijna.

I cross my arms.

This whole thing is not to my liking.

"You think I am not serious, panda. Then it is your fault!" Tian Yi shouts and lunges his arm.

I want to intervene, when….

"Wait!"

We hear it before the claw hand hit her throat.

But this was not Po.

I turn around immediately.

A figure is coming out of the Shadows.

I know it before he can be seen again.

It is Cien.

**To be continued in Chapter XIX:** Walking

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda(c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.

The Final Showdown is coming closer...


	20. Walking

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter XIX:** Walking

"What if I say that your master is not my enemy?" I whisper to the lynx.

"Then I would assume that you lie." he whispers back.

"I am behind this Moc from the beginning. When I left my home in the west I knew nothing about your master or his plans. I knew only that Moc was part of the Order of the Black Claw. And he was my target from the beginning. And is it still. I came the whole way here cause of him."

He looks into my eyes.

"You believe what you speak. Hmmm….but what benefits I would have from telling you."

"Your master would have an enemy less."

He smirks

"He is not part of Master Tian Yi's army." the lynx replies louder.

Damn.

I sigh.

"I see." I say and turn around.

I go to the river.

I sigh again.

This path leads nowhere.

"What is going on?" Aijna asks me.

I turn around to her.

"My reason for coming with you had proved itself wrong." I reply.

"What reason?"

"It's complicated. Let's say that it is the reason, why I stole my sword back from you and know how you feel about the loss of your gang."

"I see." she says after a while,

"So what will you do now? Leave us?"

"Don't know. Need to think for a while. It would be better when you go ahead."

"Okay.", she says after another break and then turns back to the others.

They enter the tavern, and let Mantis and Viper behind with this lynx.

I draw my sword and hold it in front of me.

Dad…

Sis…

What should I do?

I begin to walk alongside the river.

Searching for him?

Or helping my friends?

….

Damn! Why it needs to be so complicated?

I grab my head with the free hand.

What should I do?

….

Dad….

I remember…

"You have stolen something from your sister?" he asks me.

We are at the lake.

Dapping stones like always.

"Yeah she is always so mean to me. I wanted to punish her."

I am still a small cub. A black kitten in the true sense of the word. Sweet like the girls call me.

"What have you stolen?"

"Her headband. She loves it so much."

I look at my father. He smiles.

"You need to give it back."

"No! Not unless she apologizes to me."

He keeps silent.

"Do you know why this headband is so precious for her?"

"No.", I shake my head.

"It is because it was mothers."

I am shocked. I look at the headband. A red one with white flowers on it.

"Son, you should give it back to her. She is your sister and she misses mother as much as we do."

I lower my head.

"Okay I will give it back when I see her."

"She will be probably mad at you."

"She is always mad at me."

"But you know she loves you still?"

I need a while to answer: "I don't know. She is always so mean."

"That shouldn't mislead you. She loves you. You are her little brother. And she has a bond with you, which is much bigger than everything you know yet….Maybe your friendship with your wolf friend is similar." he looks at me with a serious look, "These bonds are the most important things in our lives. And most often they are complicated. But you should never forget that she will risk and sacrifice everything for you because of her bond to you."

I didn't know what to say.

"I hope you love her as well."

I saw the warm smile of my father. He knew everything.

Thunder. Lightning.

"Never forget." she says to me.

I come back to the here and now.

I look around.

I walked further than I believed.

The sea can't even be seen anymore.

…..

I close my eyes.

Sis, Dad, guys….I will not forget you.

Never.

I will get him for this.

One day I will get him.

I open my eyes.

But not now.

Now I need to risk everything for something different.

Not for revenge. Not for the past.

For the future.

For Friends, companions and my love.

For people, with whom I built up a bond.

**To be continued in Chapter XX:** City of the Star

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda(c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.

I ask myself, what you would say, if I would make a break now, for a longer while...


	21. City of the Star

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter XX:** City of the Star

Why did this guy come out?

"Cien. And I thought already, we will not see us again so fast." this Tai Lung says.

This guy could see me and the others.

My son smiles.

"Like I foreseen it.", he tells.

"This is a lie." I remind him.

He ignores me.

"Cien, why are you here?" the Vixen demands to know.

A good question.

"Miss you also, gorgeous." he replies grinning.

The Vixen shakes her head unbelieving.

"So everyone of the prophecy is here. Fine. It is time to go." Tian Yi says.

"Haven't you forgotten something?" I ask him.

He ignores me.

But this leopard looks at me.

"Yeah, have you forgotten to ask: Where is their ship?"

He heard me.

My son realizes this also.

"Where is your ship?" this idiotic lion asks.

Like earlier everyone keeps silent.

Okay one exception.

"It is on the other side of the island." Cien tells.

Every one of the others looked shocked.

"What have you done?" the Tigress demands to know.

"Rescuing your lives." Cien admits.

He had realized this.

Smart guy.

"But I don't believe you will catch it. It is rather fast. I think it would be wiser to let it follow you, wherever you want to go. As long everyone is on your three ships, it will not attack….And by the way I want to be with my gorgeous vixen."

The last thing he told in a different voice. Close to a kitten.

But what will you do, son?

"So be it.", he replies finally.

Everyone get tied up and carried to the row boats. My son had to signal the ships to send another boat. But at the end everyone was onboard. Tai Lung joined our ship this time and my son had suggested it. He still has some secrets, which I couldn't figure out. Not mentioning his reason for all this.

For our hostages, we have Cien and this vixen.

Fortunately Tian Yi is close enough to them so I can float there.

"I still can't believe you have betrayed us." the vixen whispers to him almost loud enough that she can be heard.

"Sometimes you need to give up to win." he says to her.

She looks at him if she would look at someone who is crazy.

"That makes no sense."

"Of course it does. Or how do you think I escaped from you?"

Her mien normalizes.

"So you have a plan?"

"He is maybe a brainy, but his plans are dependent from the situation. Or not?" Tai Lung, who had come to them, says.

The vixen keeps quiet and looks up at him.

"Funny how the situations can change sometimes. Last time I looked up to you chained." Tai Lung responds smirking.

He looks at me this whole while and I am floating in front of this vixens face.

I float to a different location, but his eyes follow me.

Then he looks to Cien.

"I knew that she would be your grave some day."

"And I knew that it would be your pride, pussycat."

First I see anger, which is exchanged rather fast with amusement.

"You will not manipulate me as you have Tian Yi. I see my destiny in front of me. So close. I will not change my course right now."

"Maybe later, when we arrived. You dislike Tian Yi or not?"

This takes Tai Lung by surprise and it is seen rather well on his face.

Then his face gets serious.

"Maybe….I have to do something now. But on a ship is not much space to not be seen again."

He turns around and I follow him.

Then a force pulls me away from him.

I find myself back to my son. We are in his quarter and he is looking outside of the window. His back is directed at me.

"Tai Lung could see you, or not?", he asks me.

"I think so.", I reply.

After a while he mutters: "Fascinating this power of his."

He turns around and sits down to his desk.

"What have you heard?" he asks me finally.

"Nothing serious. This and that. Nothing important." I reply in a casual sound.

He smirks at me. Since the other spirits came back, he looks much more confident and strong, not to mention young.

"You don't want to be honest to me, old man. You know that the reason you still exist is me."

"I don't remember that I asked you for it. And when you are interested in this, take one of your other spirits for this. I am not your spy."

He leans back in his chair.

"I can't do that. The other spirits are….brainless. They are not capable to spy."

"Your loss!"

He lifts up again.

"I could do this with you as well."

"Then do it! I will never surrender to you. Do it when it will make you happy."

He hesitates. He is unsure again.

"You can't do this? No. You don't want to. The reason you brought me back is too important."

He hides his face behind the hand, but I know that I hit the bull's eye.

After this he didn't want to talk with me again.

Time passed and I used this to examine the ship.

We were followed like they said. Almost not seen at the horizon was another ship. And that for days. I am not a seaman, but to maintain such a distance for days has to be difficult.

I visited this odd pairing in the lower decks.

They had kept silent for most of the days, but today I have luck.

"How in hell did you find us anyway?" the pride vixen asks him.

"The same way you found Tian Yi."

"You asked Lady Mituan?"

"Lady? This shadow is a lady? Haven't seen this."

"Cien!"

"Okay, okay. Yeah I asked her. First she wanted to keep silent, but after I ensured her, that I am your boyfriend, she said it to me."

"You are not my boyfriend!"

This vixen has a red-brownish color of fur, but somehow it came redder now.

"Boyfriend? Friend? Ally? Where is the difference?" he replies amused.

She looks at him angry.

"Okay after this I had to find someone, who knows the Dragon's Lair. I found an old seadog with an alcohol problem and a small ship. I recommended him a doctor. Although I didn't say him that I paid with a bronze coin instead with a silver coin."

"So he brought you to the island?"

"Yeah."

"Strange. My sister hasn't seen any further ship in the close surroundings."

"Your sister? You have a sister?"

"She was our Captain to the island. And she is the best Sailor of all Seven Seas."

"Wait a minute. You – have – a – sister?"

"Yeah. I said it already."

"How is she looking? Maybe I have more chances by her than you."

She hits him with one of her free feet.

Somehow I don't get wiser with these two.

The next day I floated through an empty part of the ship.

Odd that no one is sleeping here. It is big enough for some of the men.

"Who are you?"

I turn around. At the wooden wall Tai Lung is leaning.

I searched for him earlier, but this time was first time I could find him.

"I am Sun Tai Hozi. Former master of the Sun Wukong School of Martial Arts. And Father of Sun Li Sai and Sun Tian Yi."

He looks impressed.

"Aren't you dead?"

"I am. I am only a spirit."

"How comes?"

"My son brought me back. Don't ask me how."

He is walking around in the room now.

"Then these black clouds are…"

"Other spirits. But different from me. He called them brainless. He uses them for getting power."

"I see. So this is his secret….But this means he had to bring these spirits back from the land of the Dead. He revived them."

"No. I am not getting everything. Even not how you can see me, but I don't think we are revived. I am bounded to him for eternity. As long as he wants it."

He keeps silent for a while.

"Do you know these other spirits?"

"No. Don't want to. I will not know, what would happen with me, when I would be joined with them."

"Is there a way to separate him from these spirits?"

"I don't know. I said I still don't get everything."

He keeps silent again.

"But I think they are not immortal. When they leave his body they are even touchable. Otherwise they would be of no use for chaining."

"I see."

"Tai Lung, can I ask you a question."

He looks at me again.

"Tell me."

"On which side are you? On my sons or on the Dragon Warrior's?"

"On my own. As long as I can find my destiny I am working together with you son."

He didn't need to think about this.

"And you know what your destiny is?"

"Finding the City. But what comes after it, I still don't know. Maybe I will see when we are there."

I wait a while.

"Will you give him this power?"

He looks at me.

"That is a decision still to make."

I keep silent for while, but then I have an idea.

"You know the melody, of which my son is so fascinated?"

"How could I not? This whole journey depended on it."

"Then have you thought about the phrases, which are talking about you?"

He keeps silent.

"Yeah.

´w_hen Light and Shadow will arise._

_The Light is blind to see his road;`"_

"And don't forget:

_Will they change their course?_

_Or will they change the face of the world?_

_Will the city of the Star rise back again?_

_ Or Will the Dragon fall? _

This is as well part of this. Haven't you thought that you need to change course?"

"I have thought about this."

"And what is your conclusion?"

He sighs.

And opens his mouth.

But then I get pulled back.

Wrong timing.

I am on deck again.

"We reached our goal." Tian Yi tells me.

He looks down to the sea.

The sea here is much darker here than so far.

So this is the deepest point of the world.

I look back and notice that he has Sun Wukong's staff in his hands.

"Soon the time has come. Soon I will revive them."

"Who?"

He smirks to me.

"You still didn't get it."

I think about this.

He wants to revive someone. Who?

….

I get it!

It was so obvious!

"You want to bring her back!"

"You have realized it."

"Now it makes sense. The horrors 50 years ago were experiments!"

He grins.

"Failed experiments about Life and Death. But soon I will have it despite the failures."

I can't believe it.

"Only cause of this you did these terrible things?"

We get interrupted by Adum.

"Master you wanted something from me?"

"Yes, bring our guests and Tai Lung up. As well signal the other ships to bring out their guests. They all need to see it."

And Adum runs across the planks to do this.

Tian Yi looks back at the sea.

"Finally you will see that what I have done back then was a beginning of something greater. And you have no choice then seeing it." he mutters under his beard.

"Son…."

Our guests arrive.

"Here is nothing." Tai Lung says.

"Adum unchain the Shadow." Tian Yi orders.

Adum hesitates, but after a cold look of my son he does as he is told.

"Fine. My wrist felt already numb. Can I have my sword back also?" the panther jokes around again and looks at his sword in a sheath of the lion.

"No. But this here.", and Tian Yi throws the staff to Cien.

He catches it and….a dark light is going through his skin.

"What the hell…" he mutters.

Tian Yi smiles in triumph.

"I knew it. You are Shadow. Now bring the staff above the water."

Cien is obviously startled.

He goes slowly to the rail and holds the staff above the water.

It vibrates.

This can't be….

"Now Tai Lung grab it."

Tai Lung looks at him confused.

"First you tell me what will happen." he demands to know.

My son sighs.

"´Only when Light and Shadow merge your goal can be found.` You are Light and Shadow. And on the peaks of the staff are written down the signs for Light and Shadow. An odd accident or not? And now grab it."

Tai Lung advances to Cien slowly.

"Seems that it was our destiny to merge, pussycat." Cien tells him.

Tai Lung growls, but still grabs the staff. A brighter light goes through his skin.

The staff vibrates much stronger than earlier.

Then he begins to glow in his colors.

And then he stretches. To the water and below it. We can't see it anymore.

"Eh and what now?" Cien asks.

"Wait.", Tian Yi smiles in full satisfaction.

Then the sea begins to tremble.

"I would recommend everyone to grab something." Tian Yi says completely calm and grab the rails.

The trembling gets stronger and stronger. The water surface is only a crowd of waves and foams.

I look down to the water.

There is seen a big dark shadow how it is coming closer to us.

The first thing which is seen is the other end of the staff.

And then a well designed curvy peak of a building out of white marble is seen.

And then follows a dome. This thing presses the ship backwards.

The ship trembles stronger from one moment to another.

And then another peak of the same design comes out. The difference is that it pierces through the ship before we see it coming out of the main deck.

The peak ends also in a dome and the ship is lifted up. Also some cracking noise is heard.

"Ahh….." I hear the voice of a woman. I look there and see that Cien had grabbed the vixen after he had stolen his sword back.

"No, don't do this!" she shouts, while he steps on the rail.

"Trust me.", he yells and jumps from the ship into the area, where still is water.

"Damn!" Tai Lung mutters and jumps also from the ship.

Tian Yi runs also to the rail and jumps from the ship.

I can still see like our ships get smashed by further buildings, which find their way up to the surface.

Then I get pulled back to him.

**To be continued in Chapter XXI:** The Abyss

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda(c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.


	22. The Abyss

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter XXI:** The Abyss

Uhhh….

What….?

What happened?

I open my eyes. Slowly.

The blue sky.

White clouds.

….

Peace.

…..

Below my back I feel wet stones.

I try to raise my upper body.

Uhhh….

I look around.

…..

Awesome.

I am in the middle of a free city place.

Everywhere around me are buildings built of….I don't know of what they are built of. They resemble marble, but also metal and normal stone. There are many different colors like white, silver, red, blue, gold, orange and much more. All of them have domes with peaks on it.

And they look like they are made of rather luxurious materials. Once. Now the buildings look old. Ruinous.

I stand up completely. My pants want to fall down, but I grab them in time.

Some of the buildings are destroyed. Some only damaged. Most weathered. On some sea plants had grown. On other corals.

I look down.

There are stones built for streets. But also sand. Much sand. All of it wet. As I am.

Also there are lines. Shining blue lines, which crisscross the ground. They are very thin, but very easy to see and they shine through the sand, which is lying on them.

I look around further.

And finally I see them.

I run there.

"Tigress!" I shout and shake her. She starts to wake up.

"Master Li Sai!" I go to the other person. He awakes also.

"Where are we?" Tigress asks looking around shocked and a little dizzy.

"Probably the City of the Star." I suggest.

Where we can be other than that?

"How are you going?" I ask them and they agree with the fact, that they are only wet also.

Then I walk around looking. There are two roads, which lead us away from this place.

"Which road should we go?" I ask both.

Both shake their heads.

"Don't know. We should try one. We need to find the others."

"Yes.", I approve and go the road closer to me.

Tigress and Li Sai follow me.

While we are going this road, we look around the whole time.

Everywhere ruins of these buildings. Also water passages, which are crossed through bridges, which looked like the buildings. Just now we realize that in the buildings and the bridges are carved pictures. But cause of the state of the City we couldn't inspect them correctly. Most of the pictures are in a worse state than the city in whole.

"Po! Look!" Tigress shouts to me.

I look back to her and look then in the direction she points out.

There no far away is seen the huge building, – although all the buildings seem to be not much smaller – which had destroyed our ships.

To prove this we can still see parts of them on the roof and also the staff, which is on one of the peaks.

The staff….

The blue lines have the same color as it.

"We should go there. Maybe we find the others." Tigress suggests.

"Yeah.", I say and then I see it.

I can't believe what I am seeing.

I run there.

"Po!" Tigress shouts behind me.

Before she can catch me I reach it.

In front of me is a destroyed building. But this is not, what had aroused my attention.

In front of me is a big squid. Very big. Huge is an understatement.

His longish head is lying there, where the building once was and fills out the whole area. His tentacles are spread around the whole road and their ends are as big as me.

He breathes slowly, but it gets weaker.

"Awesome. A huge squid." I mutter.

"I think this is a kraken." Li Sai corrects me.

I and Tigress look at him.

"I thought this is only a myth.", Tigress replies.

"On the deepest point of earth somehow not." Li Sai responds, "This guy here is too big to be a squid."

The gigantic eye of him registered us.

We hear noises.

It comes from the bottom part of his head.

"I think….he talks to us." I suggest.

"I can't understand him." Tigress says.

No one of us can.

The kraken talks to us for a further while.

At the end the air leaves his head and the noise ends.

"He is dead." Li Sai says.

We keep silent for a while.

I look around and see it for the first time: A big dome far away.

It seems to be noticeable bigger than the other domes we saw here till now.

"We need to find the others." Tigress reminds me.

I turn away only unwillingly.

We reach our landing point.

Everywhere are soldiers of Tian Yi.

No one of them looks like they want to fight.

Some of them are injured.

But no one of the Furious Five or the others are here.

We make a rest.

"They can be everywhere." Tigress concludes.

I look back to the dome.

…I have an idea.

"We should go to this dome. It must be seen from everywhere in the city. Maybe they all go there."

Tigress sighs.

"Okay."

So we go ignoring the glances of the soldiers in black.

Even when some of them follow us, we ignore this.

We are in the same boat. For now.

We cross a statue. There is sitting someone on a horse. And this horse is on all fours. The man – if it is a man – wears a broad sword and swings it to the sky. He resembles a little a monkey, but without fur except on the head.

"What are these?" I ask.

"Maybe the founders of this city….They look odd." Tigress replies.

"I question myself, why they have died out." Li Sai says.

"We should discuss this when we have stopped Tian Yi.", Tigress replies.

We go further.

Everywhere we see the ruins. Corals. See plants. Fishes of all different species and even much more. No one of them lives.

Finally we reach the dome. It is much bigger than the first time I saw it.

We see a big golden gate. It is as huge as that I would fit through it at least dozens of times. On it a dragon is drawn with black ink. The dragon is rather abstract.

"These lines…" Tigress mutters.

I look down again and see what she wanted to say. The lines are leading to this gate.

In front of the gate we see old friends.

"Cien! Aijna!" I yell and run to them. Cien was trying to push open the gate, but couldn't succeed. Now he looks to us.

"Po and the Beast. And is there the unloved brother?" he jokes around again.

They are wet as well. Cien had undressed his jacket and Aijna was wearing it now. Her face was hardly to see cause of her wet hair, which is lying on it.

"Good to see you, both." Tigress begins to speak, "Have you seen the others?"

Cien looks behind us. "No. Are these friends of yours?" he says and points out to the soldiers, who had followed us.

Tigress turns around to them. "No, but for now they are no danger."

"What have you tried to do, Cien?" Li Sai asks.

"Open the gate. Go in and then up. Better view when you ask me. But this gate doesn't even move an inch."

"Said it earlier to you." Aijna comments this.

I step closer to the gate.

Slowly I touch it.

Then I feel like something is going through me.

"Po!" Tigress shouts behind me.

But as fast as this had come it was also away again. Then the whole gate is bathed in light. A golden light.

We step back.

The gate begins to tremble.

And then we hear a click.

The gate opens up on its own. Slowly but steady. Finally it shows us the interior.

"Awesome.", I mutter a few times.

It is only one room, but it fills out the whole huge dome.

In the middle of the room a gigantic star is floating in the air. An emerald star. It is a little transparent. Around his middle part is a halo passageway out of gold. It doesn't touch the star. On four parts of this halo, which resembles corners – although it is a halo – are further passageways which lead to four smaller halos. They surround four diamond-like doublet pyramids, – one point up and the other right below it down – which are also floating in the air. From these halos stairs lead to the ground. Right below the star is a gigantic circular pool, which fills out the whole area, which the golden halo surrounds in the air. The Dark Sea can be seen again.

"Welcome to the eponym of this City." a voice from behind us tell us.

We turn around.

Tian Yi and his soldiers are there, as well as Bai Fen, this lion and Viper, Monkey, Mantis and Crane chained up with these black clouds again.

"I knew that you would make a difference Dragon. This is the prove."

Tian Yi looks older and brighter like earlier, but not so old or bright.

He comes closer to us until he passes between us.

He stretches his arms.

"Finally at my goal. 50 years of search and finally at my goal."

He steps on the stairs and the diamonds begin to glow.

"After centuries buried on the deepest ground of the sea and still full with energy. This is obviously the power of our ancestors." he explains, while going to the Star.

The Star begins to rotate. The dome trembles. Black flashes leave the star and touch the surface of the water below it. There appear more and more of them. And they get stronger the whole time also. Then a big black flash hits the surface and shapes a big black whirl, which gets bigger till it fills out the whole pool. Cause of the flash a blast hits us, but we can stay on our feet.

We step closer.

"This is the Abyss. The Gate to the Underworld. The World of the Dead. You should take care better. This is a one-way under normal circumstances."

I step closer.

It feels like someone would whisper to me. Convince me to come closer. Pulling me.

I look down to the Abyss. I see faces of people. They look like they are in pain. Also like they would…scream.

"Po!" Tigress grabs me by my shoulder.

I look around confused. I was one step of entering the Abyss and one foot is raised already.

I fall backwards alarmed.

"And by the way: Don't listen to the whispers. Every one of them is a big Liar." Tian Yi adds.

He is standing in the middle halo already looking at us, before he turns to the star. He lifts his hand up and stops it in front of the star.

I shake my head and stand up.

"They are suffering."

He hesitates and his voice is not so normal again, when he tells us:

"Yes a side effect of the Abyss."

"What do you mean?" I raise my head up.

"How should I explain this? The Abyss is something like touching a lava stream for the dead. Or like thousands of sharp needles, which pierce into every free spot of your flesh. And the exit of it is like the light for a moth. All of them are going through this torture only to get out, but I decide who will."

What!

"So you let them go through this pain only for your selfish reasons!" Master Li Sai shouts at him from farther behind.

He looks down to us. He lowers his hand.

"I will bring the ones back, who died too early. All of them. I will bring justice to this world." he lifts his hand again.

"And who decides, what justice is? You?" Li Sai talks further.

"Who when not fate." Tian Yi replies a little more confident than earlier.

"Even when this would be right, what is with ones who died justified after your judgment? They will be tortured for nothing. They are dead. They paid the price for their misdoings. Now they have the right to rest in peace." I object.

He hesitates again.

He turns around to me.

"And what is with the ones who didn't have to pay a price? The ones who died innocently? They are also doomed for eternity in the other world. Although they had never done something wrong." he is close to tears, "They earn a second chance."

I get it now.

"Who have you lost?"

He hesitates. "Many. My mother was the first. Then my uncle. And many more."

"Brother…" Li Sai mutters understanding finally.

"I have lost my parents. Even before I could know them better. But I couldn't allow that they must go through this hell, only because I am not able to accept their deaths. This no one deserves. Let them go."

"But….but…my mother was a good-hearted woman from the bottom of her heart. She cared for orphans of war. And how this world had thanked her for this: It killed her, because a bandit needed money. And my uncle: He was a hero. He sacrificed his life for the good. Only to die cause of a mislead hammer. Where was justice there?"

"Brother, what would they think, when they knew what you have done? Only to revive them…" Li Sai says.

"Don't you see that you are selfish? You don't do this for justice. I beg you again, let them go. This isn't worth it.", I add.

I see the inner conflict in him.

Then he shakes his head.

"No! I will not allow this! I sacrificed too much! I came so far, now I will do it!", and then he touches the surface of the Star.

The black clouds are seen again and he looks like in pain. The surface begins to vibrate and dark flashes are seen again. The whole dome trembles.

I look down to the Abyss. I can see like a shape is forming.

First of all is a face. It looks like in pain.

….

I need to stop him.

Stairs. I run to the closest, when I hear it: "Uhhh."

I look back at him. He staggers and touches his face. He makes a wrong step and falls from the halo to the ground. The Star is getting normal again and it stops rotating.

Then I hear noise from the entrance. I look backwards.

Tai Lung is there and he is freeing the others by ripping off the clouds, while hitting the soldiers away. These clouds disappear instead of returning back to Tian Yi. Cien, Tigress, Li Sai and Aijna have used this to attack Bai Fen and this lion. After the others get freed they attack the soldiers.

"Po, stop him!" Tigress yells at me and I run as fast as I can to him.

He stands again, although he looks pale. I try to hit him, but he disappears in a black cloud again. I look around, before he appears from the left. He kicks me away and I crush against some of the soldiers.

"You will not stop me!"

He attacks me, although I still am lying on the ground. I can dodge the attack by rolling backwards and standing up in the same motion. He tries to hit me with this incredible strength again, but I can dodge still. Then he disappears again.

I look around.

Where is he?

Then I feel like I get pushed forward and land on my belly.

I stand up fast, turn over and am surprised about what I see there.

Tai Lung is standing there and he had blocked the attack of Tian Yi. He attacks him and forces him to retreat.

"Why are you doing this, Light? I thought we are on the same side."

"No, we had the same goal. And this is achieved. I knew that my destiny would be to find this city, but now I know, that it is not to give you this power." Tai Lung replies and pushes him back again till he teleports himself to a different location.

I go to Tai Lung's side.

"Go away Po! I'll handle him." he says to me.

"I want to help. We need to fight together. Even when I wouldn't have im…" I reply.

"Look out!" he shouts at me.

Tian Yi appears from somewhere again. I couldn't see him, but Tai Lung apparently yes. He pushes me away and can still dodge the attack in a narrow margin.

"I will not allow that you prevent my plans!"

Tai Lung dodges a chain cloud and can kick Tian Yi away. Tian Yi attacks further, but we can dodge and counterattack by fighting together. Then he disappears again.

"Where is he?" I shout.

Tai Lung looks up. "Above us!" he yells before we jump away from our position. Tian Yi smashes the ground.

"Even when you destroyed few of my spirits, I am still stronger than you two." Tian Yi tells us, while standing up.

"When this would be important. Po! You need to destroy this Star. Immediately! I will buy you time. Go!" Tai Lung replies and attacks the surprised Tian Yi and forcing him away from me.

I hesitate.

…He is right. Tian Yi wants the power of the Star. When we destroy it…

But how should I destroy this star?

I get distance between me and them, after Tian Yi hit me almost again, and in this way also to the star.

How should I destroy this thing?

I look to the diamond crystals….

Yes!

I run up the stairs to the closest crystal.

I am in front of the crystal and punch it hard.

…..

Ow!

Damn this thing is too hard.

I need…

I get pushed from the halo by a flying Cien. We fall on the ground again. Bai Fen is running at us with two swords in his hands. I stand up fast and can push away him with my belly. In the meanwhile Cien has stood up and is using his sword for the defense. We fight together against Bai Fen and push him back.

"We need to destroy the Star. The crystals are its power source. When we crush them, he will maybe fall down to the Abyss. But they are very hard. Do you have an idea how to destroy them?" I say while stepping under Bai Fen's swords and hitting him hard with my two fists.

Cien attacks him with a hit from above, which Bai Fen can block with a crossover of his two swords.

"You need something peaky!" he yells at me.

"Not so fast Fatty and Blacky!" Bai Fen shouts at us and pushes Cien's sword back. He wants to attack again, but Cien punches him into the face and Bai Fen needs to take a step back.

Then he hands me over his sword.

"Take this. Something better I can't find right now." he says and jumps on Bai Fen and brings him to fall on the ground. "Go, Po!" he shouts.

I take the sword and run to the halo again, while these two roll away wrestling.

I am close to the stairs, when I get attacked by a pigeon and a crow, but I can beat them with a lucky hit. When I want to enter the stairs, Tian Yi appears from the nothing again in front of me.

"Not so fast, Panda!" he shouts at me and tries to pierce me with his hand. I block the attack with the sword, which starts to vibrate strongly and I get pushed back a step or two. Then Tai Lung is there and grabs him.

"Do it, Po!" he shouts while disappearing with Tian Yi in the clouds again.

I run up the stairs and reach the crystal again. I see at the edge of my vision like Tai Lung is fighting against Tian Yi on the halo again.

Then I thrust the sword in.

Nothing.

Again.

Still nothing.

Then a third time.

This gets frustrating.

Again and again.

Come on!

I hammer the sword harder than the last time.

A scratch. Finally!

Again.

A crack. White Flashes are surrounding the crystal.

"Nooooo!" I hear Tian Yi yell.

I look to him.

"Ska-doosh.", I say and then trust the sword completely in.

The crystal begins to glow brighter than earlier. Flashes dance around it much stronger. Then a blast hits me and I fly backwards before the crystal self-destructs itself.

I lie on my back.

A little bit dizzy.

I lift my upper body touching my head. Around me are lying the remaining parts of the crystal and its halo. Everywhere around the Star are seen black Flashes. And all of it is moving in a trembling manner. Some of the Flashes hit the surface of the dome and begin destroying it. A big pull is expending from the Abyss and the Star is moving in its direction.

Tai Lung and Tian Yi fight still on the golden halo in the middle, when it begins to get sucked into the Abyss. Also some parts of the Star are disappearing in there.

I stand up fast.

"Tai Lung! Tian Yi! Get away from there! Fast!" I yell up to them.

Tai Lung registers this, but he is still fighting.

No…..

I step closer to them.

The pulling force gets stronger.

Then the Star and its halo crush and collapse into the Abyss.

And I see like they fall.

**To be continued in Chapter XXII:** Back to the Sea

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda(c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.

Blackjack. This chapter was my most visited construction site. Hope you like this version and enjoy reading.


	23. Back to the Sea

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter XXII:** Back to the Sea

"Tai Lung! Tian Yi! Get away from there! Fast!" Po yells up to us.

I ignore it.

I need to keep him here.

The pulling gets stronger.

It gets more difficult from moment to moment to defend against Tian Yi's attacks.

But then the halo breaks.

I fall.

And hit the dark surface.

….

Darkness surrounds me.

Pain is everywhere.

I open my eyes.

Everywhere are spirits. They are suffering.

I suffer.

An unbelievable pain is crossing my body.

And then there are they.

They grab me. They pull me. They push me. I think even some of them bite me.

They look completely unreal.

Like corpses.

Drained away everything what made them alive.

Urgh!

A flashback…

Shifu's betrayal….

Go away….

Another flashback…..My time in Chorh-Gom Prison. Alone. Abandoned. Full with wrath.

A third flashback…the Wuxi Finger Hold….My defeat against Adum….

….

Darkness occupies me.

….I…

I will end as well as these corpses.

I feel the urge to go up again.

Nothing different matters now.

I….I….lose myself.

"No!"

The spirits swim away.

Another spirit appears. Silver. A monkey.

The pain fades.

"You need to fight this, Tai Lung! You are still alive!"

I remember.

Everything.

"No, I know what my destiny is now. To find the city and to find this power. And to decide that Tian Yi can't get this power. And now I am dying like it was meant for me."

"What are you talking about?"

"This is my destiny. I will be a hero. An eternal hero, like Shifu has told me from the beginning. The Great Dragon Tai Lung will stay in the memories of everyone. And for this I need to die a glorious death."

"In death there is nothing glorious."

"You don't know about what you are talking."

"I know very well. Maybe better than you….I was like you once."

"You were?"

"Yes a young Kung Fu Fighter with the wish to become the greatest hero of all times. And like every hero I needed also a death, which was worthy my life. So I and my brother traveled through the lands, helping the innocent, beating the evil and rescuing the day. Officially for doing good deeds, but I did this for glory. The more difficult the task was the more I wanted to do it.

I thought this was my destiny…..And in this way I lost my wife."

"Your wife? Tian Yi talked about his mother."

"Yes. She died cause of a bandit attack at her orphanage. For few coins she lost her life. And I wasn't there to protect her, because I searched for glory. I learned about her death cause of a letter, which Tian Yi and Li Sai sent me. For Tian Yi it was the heaviest. He loved her more than anyone."

"That's why he searched for this power."

"Yes. But it isn't over. Instead of returning to my family I took the next hardest mission for me and my brother. Now after her death – I thought – only my glory remained. And I needed to make it even more glorious. Part of me wanted to die. I was prepared for this and I wished that it would happen then. That is the reason, I didn't try to dodge the hammer of an ox, but instead closed my eyes and prepared to die. And that is the reason why my brother pushed me away and died instead of me. My craving for glory had killed two of the most important persons in my life. And my craving for a glorious death had killed him. And these deaths had turned Tian Yi to this, what he was till now."

"That is a sad story, but I am not in your situation. I did it. I stopped your son. I rescued the world order. I am a hero. And to bring everything to a successful end, I need to die now."

"Are you really a hero? Do you believe the people will remember you cause of this?"

"They will. Po will care for this. I rescued his life."

He keeps silent.

"That it is. You are fleeing."

"What? No! I am not fleeing!"

"Yes you do. You flee into the death, because you can't bear the heaviness of confronting your crimes."

"No!"

"Admit to yourself at least. You were a criminal. Even when you decided for the right thing in the end, your former crimes are not forgotten. And you are too much of a coward to confront them and that is why you search excuses to die."

"No!...That is not true."

"In death is nothing glorious. It takes us away the chance for a second chance. For saying goodbye. For correct mistakes of our life. You have still the chance to correct them. You need only to allow yourself to live. Don't do the mistakes I did."

I lower my head.

…

"You are right." I admit it slowly, "I thought I accepted everything, but my crimes I haven't confronted till now. So this….wasn't my destiny?"

"It was. But not die now. You need to live. Because that is the destiny of everyone."

I raise my head back to him.

"Thanks, but I think it is too late for me."

"No it isn't. Feel your hands."

My hands?

It is the first time I noticed that I had lost all the feeling in the rest of my body since I am here.

I concentrate. I sense something in the right hand below me. I hold someone.

"Tian Yi….." I mutter.

"You had grabbed him while falling down. Instinctively although not willingly. Thanks for this."

"Is he….still alive?"

"His spirits had left him. And with them parts of his mind."

I think about this.

"So it is only a shell."

"No. He is still there. And maybe he will come back again someday. I hope so…"

I concentrate on my other hand.

This one is held.

Outside of the Abyss.

Someone holds my hand outside of the Abyss.

"Someone holds me."

"Yes. They don't want you to die. They want that you live."

I shake my head disbelievingly.

"After all I have done….they don't want to let me go."

"They don't want to…."

I nod.

I grab the arm, which holds me.

It feels rather fat.

"Po…"

I get pulled up, but very, very slowly.

The pain is coming back.

"Will you do me a favor?" he asks me. I nod.

"Say my other son, that I am proud of him. I heard everything what he said. He should take care of his brother and he should become the new Master of the Sun Wukong School of Martial Arts.", he sighs, "I think it will be harder for him than to my times. But I know he will be successful."

He hesitates.

My head is coming closer to the surface.

"And say him: Goodbye. I wish him a happy life. I and every other will await him here, when his time comes."

"Okay."

He looks at me one last time.

"Farewell Tai Lung and good luck in your life. Don't waste it."

Then I hit the surface.

It doesn't want to let me through. The pain here is much bigger than below me.

I fight.

I will not die here!

…..

Finally me head comes through and the pain fades slowly.

Air.

I breathe air again.

"We have him!"

Po is holding my hand. And the others are holding him, first of all Cien.

They pull me out, while I pull out Tian Yi.

Finally we are out of the Abyss.

I pant.

I look back. The remains of the star are still seen like it disappears into the Abyss.

"And we have another monkey here." Cien states.

I look back at Tian Yi. He is completely white now.

Before we can talk further, we hear noise.

The earth is shaking and with it the whole building.

"We need to get out here! The whole dome starts to collapse!" Cien yells.

Someone wants to help me up and I accept it. It is Po. He takes one of my arms over his head and helps me going and running.

Li Sai grabs Tian Yi and throws him on his shoulders.

We run. The soldiers are running away also.

We leave the dome in time, before the roof collapses on us.

But this isn't better. The whole city begins to tremble even stronger.

All of us think the same: it returns to the sea.

"We need to get out of the City! Where is the sea?" Tigress yells.

"This Way!" a voice yells to us.

We see another vixen and something like a sailor crew.

"Sis!" Aijna yells to her.

"Come. We need to go!" a third time we don't let us put on hold.

Now I can run for myself.

We run as fast as our feet carry us.

Everywhere water is found, where it was not seen before. Even some fountains are seen.

We don't stop except when a new barrier creates itself in front of us in the shape of water or a destroyed building. But we run further.

Every second matters.

Finally we reach the edge of the city, where a ship is seen.

"On board!" this second vixen orders. No one resists.

"Guys! We need to get distance between the city and us. So put your shoulders to wheel. Fast!" she orders her men and they do as ordered.

The ship turns around slowly.

Finally the bow looks into direction of the sea.

The sails are out, but we don't move away.

"The Undertow is pulling us down. Take this!" the vixen yells and throws a big paddle to me.

With Po, Cien and Tigress we begin to row this paddle. On the other side the others row their paddle as strong as we can, but the Undertow is too strong.

We don't move an inch.

"Come on!" the vixen yells.

Finally after seconds, which felt like hours the ships moves.

Slowly, but steady.

We get distance, while the City disappears in the seas.

We did it!

The wind carries us further and we can stop rowing.

All of us fall on our asses completely exhausted.

We can't move a finger for a while.

"What happened with Tian Yi down there?" Po asks after a break of panting.

I take a while with the answer, because I am panting still.

"His spirits left him down there. He is now a completely normal old monkey." I explain.

"His spirits? Was this his power source?" Cien inquires.

"Yeah sort of."

"So what will we do with him now?" Tigress asks.

"Good question." Po tells.

Before I can explain the last wish of the master, Cien speaks to Po:

"Po, what is about my sword?"

"Oh…that." Po replies embarrassed, "I think it is destroyed….sorry."

"Destroyed? How?"

"I pierced it into the crystal and couldn't get it out, before this thing self-destroyed itself."

Cien seems shocked.

"Sorry, Cien…I…." Po tries to apologize.

"It's okay, Po." Cien says and stands up to grab the rails. He seems a little sad.

Aijna stands up to him.

I sigh and look up to the sky.

Blue sky without a single cloud.

….

So finding this city was my destiny and loosing it in one go.

….Sounds senseless. Or?

Then Cien asks us something: "Hey, can I have the paddle again?"

I turn around and stand up.

"What is it?" I ask him.

"There!" he points out to the sea.

The staff which Tian Yi used to lift the city is there.

How the hell this thing survived the sinking of the city?

He fishes it out with the paddle.

"The Staff of Sun Wukong! Almost not to believe it is still intact." Li Sai says.

"Does this mean, I can't keep it?" Cien asks.

"Eh,…I don't know."

"Come on. Have a heart. I lost my sword down there."

Li Sai looks around confused.

"You overcome your loss rather fast. I thought the sword was important for you?" Aijna asks him.

Cien smiles sadly.

"Yes, it was. But I have found someone who helps me overcome the loss."

And then he uses the opportunity to kiss her.

First she looks shocked and it looks like she would push him away and then slap him. But then she accepts it and kisses back.

I sigh.

**To be continued in Chapter XXIII:** Departure

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda(c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.

The End is coming closer. (crying emoticon) But everything needs an end. Hope you like the chapter.


	24. Departure

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Chapter XXIII:** Departure

It is a wonderful view here. And with these Peach Trees everyone has also a shadow in the sunny days.

Yeah you guessed right, we are back at the Jade Palace.

And some things changed.

First: I can keep the staff. With my glasses, which I am wearing now, I am again completely equipped like a cool Fighter for Justice…..Or was this Injustice? I mix these things up always.

Second: I and Aijna are now officially a pair.

Although she doesn't admit it still. And slapped me after she accepted our last kiss. And got angry even

…Are we officially a pair?

...Yeah of course!

"You found a nice place here." I hear Aijna's voice from behind.

She comes closer to me and sits down right beside me.

"And a wonderful view here also."

"Yes. Haven't seen this the last time. But these guys from the Jade Palace have it rather nice here."

We keep silent for a while.

"How are you feeling?" she asks me.

"Wonderful. Should I different?"

"You lost your sword."

"Ah, yeah this. Have forgotten about it. Have a magical staff now."

She comes closer to me and her face has again this charming mien. "You have never told me, why it was so important for you."

"Need I?"

She looks at me with a mien, which tells: You know the answer.

"Okay…..This sword belonged to my grandfather. And then it was my fathers."

"I see."

"No, no it is not like you think. My grandpa found this in a river full of shit. Don't ask how he ended up there….Although it is rather a funny story."

"Cien."

"Okay. He toke it with him. But neither he nor my father used this thing for more than duties, which every stick could do. It was rather useless."

"So why it was so important for you?"

I sigh.

"Even when it was useless, it was always a sign of hope for our small family. When we were broken we could sell it always. But we never did. Although there was more than one occasion to do it. The feeling of hope was more important for us. Above all after mum died…."

"I see."

"And then there is Moc. He knows this sword. I wanted that he knew why I would kill him."

"What have he done?"

"Destroyed my home, destroyed my life, killed my love ones, betrayed me and killed me almost." I open my vest to show her the big scar on my chest, "Choose which one is more terrible."

She keeps silent, even after I hid the scar again.

"So you wanted revenge? Like me. But at the end you chose us and not revenge."

"Yes. Although I admit my hatred isn't over yet. I will find him eventually. Although I have nothing against some vacation for now."

She chuckles.

After a while she says another question: "What are you seeing in me?"

"What do you mean?"

"From the start you did this ´gorgeous`-thing and are doing it still. Was this only a trick to escape?"

"You should know that it wasn't."

"Yeah, but I still don't get the why. Why me? You even risked your life for me."

"Well you are the most beautiful and gorgeous vixen, who I have ever met."

"Is this all? The body and nothing else?"

I sigh.

"When it would be only that, I wouldn't risk as much as I did."

"But why? You don't even know me. Tell me. Why me?"

I think about this.

"Sometimes you don't know the reason. Sometimes it isn't even needed. Sometimes one knows when she is the right."

"Love at first sight? You believe in this?"

"I do. And will forever do. You not?"

She hesitates.

"I don't know."

"Do you like me?"

"What?"

"Do you like me?"

She takes her time with the answer.

"Yeah….sort of. But I don't know, if I can love you."

"That is nothing which is disturbing me. I will show you, why you should love me and no other person."

"Oh you will?" she states amused.

"Yes I will."

"And how do you want to achieve this?"

"By doing this for example.", and then I jump on her.

We wrestle on the ground for a while goofing around.

After a bigger laughter, we kiss for our third time. And this time she doesn't slap me afterwards.

* * *

I am looking up to the dragon. There is the Scroll again. Once it was more important for me than everything else.

I smirk

How things change.

"It has been a while." I hear a voice from behind.

I sensed him earlier already.

"Yeah since our fight."

Shifu comes closer.

"What will you do now, Tai Lung?"

I scratch my ear and turn around slowly.

"Don't know. It is funny. I went on this journey to find my destiny, but am as clever as earlier. Finding the city and loosing it in one go was my destiny. Sounds senseless…"

It keeps silent for a while until he breaks it: "This depends what you will do with it."

I grin.

"Yeah…" I say and look at him.

His face is like of stone. I end the smile.

"You know that you can't stay here?"

I lower my head.

"I know. Too many people hate me for what I did. This is not my home anymore. I have to find my own."

Then something comes into my mind.

I go closer to him.

He seems nervous.

I knee down in front of him.

"You apologized to me once. Back then I couldn't accept this. But now I can. And….I don't expect it, but I hope that you will accept also my apologize now, father?"

He seems surprised.

He hesitates and lowers his head.

"…..I don't know, if I can do this."

"I see." I say and stand up.

Not surprising.

"You did too much evil…." he tries to explain himself with a sorrowful face.

I nod only and walk beside him to the exit.

Then I hear it.

"I forgive you,….son."

I stop.

This surprises me.

I smile a little and turn my head around to him.

"But, this changes nothing. You know this." he adds.

"It changes something. I took my first step."

Somehow Thorn comes into my mind now.

Before he can ask me about this, we get company.

"And there is my favorite pussycat." Cien shouts at me.

I growl amused. He wears again these glasses and Sun Wukong's staff.

"Cien, Aijna, I haven't thanked you for your help still….Thank you." Shifu tells them.

"Oh now I feel embarrassed….No kidding. Tell me more. He he…By the way how is our lovely crab-eating monkey doing?"

"Tian Yi is still confused. He mumbles the whole time something about fate, souls, pain and fault. We don't know, if he will be normal once again. Master Li Sai will take him back to the School like his father suggested. Maybe familiar surroundings will heal his spirit."

"I see." Cien says and looks up to me with a grin, "Man, it looks like you had more luck than judgment. I ask myself how much would have been needed to change you into such a crazy pussycat."

"I will show you soon, what I think about this crazy pussycat comment. Come only closer."

"No. Somehow I feel more comfortable close to my gorgeous vixen. I know you must feel bad cause of this, but I have only one heart and this one belongs to her. You need to accept and overcome this."

"You…!"

The rest of the morning I pursued him across the whole Palace.

* * *

It is time to say goodbye. We all gathered at the stairs of the Jade Palace. Master Li Sai and his brother are going back home to their School, Cien and Aijna will go on a journey and Tai Lung we don't know.

"So where are you going on your honeymoon?" Mantis asks the pair.

"Here and there. Where it is funny." Cien replies.

"That we will see, ´honey`.", Aijna replies and squeezes his arm strong enough that it is seen on his face.

Tai Lung stands further away from the others and I go to him.

"Thanks."

He looks to me.

"For what?"

"That you decided for me at the end. Don't think I would be able to stop Tian Yi long enough to prevent his plans like you did."

"I didn't choose you. I chose the right thing. Tian Yi was crazy and still is. I don't need some crazy monkey with godlike powers."

I grin.

"Oh, somehow I can't believe you this. He he…"

He looks a little angry, but sighs at the end.

"Only that you know: I rescued your ass and you mine. We are square."

I nod.

"And where will you go?" Cien and the others come to us.

"Don't know. Maybe I follow you until I find something better."

"I see." Cien chuckles and turns around to me, "And when it will happen by you two?"

He blinks with one of his eyes.

"What do you mean?" I ask confused.

"Nothing. He means nothing." Tigress shouts rather fast.

She looks somehow redder than usual.

Cien chuckles.

"I see."

What did he see?

They say farewell and leave the Palace.

I stay longer than the remaining.

Except Tigress.

"And how do you feel?"

First I don't get what she means, but then…

"Better. I accept that they are dead and I can't change that. Except I want for them to suffer like in a lava stream. But I will still try to rescue every life I can. Even that of the foes. When I don't try, I become a murderer, and that I don't want to be."

"I see." she smiles.

….

Now I see it.

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda(c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.

The End?


	25. Epilog

**Kung Fu Panda**

**Light and Shadow**

**Epilog**

"More Wine!" I demand loudly.

This damn barman is taking too long.

These damn memories of my second failure are coming back.

We had them!

Master Tian Yi had them chained up, but then this damn leopard needed to come!

And he betrayed us in the most crucial moment there was!

Damn Tai Lung! Damn his whole destiny crap! I wish for him to go to hell!

"More Wine!" I yell after still nothing came.

"You had enough, Adum." a voice says to me.

The owner of this voice sits down opposite of the table I am sitting at.

"Bai Fen, you, traitor, dare to come into my range?" I threat him after I recognized him.

He chuckles.

"Traitor…." he mutters.

"Yeah traitor! I saw like you fled from this panther although he hadn't beaten you."

He chuckles louder.

"What is so funny about this?"

"For me to be a traitor first I needed someone, who I could betray. A leader, a friend or something similar. Or not?"

This confuses me.

"Yeah, of course. What are you getting at?"

He chuckles louder than last time.

I get angrier than I was.

"I was never working for Tian Yi. Not even a second. I watched him only."

"Watched him?"

"Yes. I needed him. And at the end he was a very useful tool, when you ask me."

"Tool?"

I stand up and am ready to rip off his head.

He looks at me. His red eyes pierce through me like Master Tian Yi's voice.

The atmosphere around him changes in a matter of a second and is completely unusual to him.

What the hell…..

I am….afraid…..

"You shouldn't get angry cause of this. I got what I wanted to get and Tian Yi is history. And now sit down, before I get angry."

I tremble.

I breathe in and out once and then I sit down slowly.

….I need to look out….

"You see. I got what I wanted to have, but there are still some things, which need to be done. For this I need some men. I found already most of the survivors of our old glorious army. And they had joined me."

The atmosphere is normal again.

I become braver…

"Joined you? Hardly to believe."

"Is it? What can they do? They are soldiers, who terrorized the Sun Wukong School for Martial Arts and the Valley of Peace. They are searched criminals and their leader is a mumbling idiot, who can't even eat without help."

That surprises me.

"He lives?"

"Yeah. He is back at home and his brother cares for him. But like I said, from his mind not much left."

He bows forward.

"And now I have an offer for you: How would you like to get your revenge on this damn traitor of a leopard and his Dragon Warrior friend?"

I get angrier again.

"Revenge? ….This sounds interesting."

"I bet it would interest you. I could give you the chance to your revenge, like I gave it to the other guys. But only when the right time has come and you did what I ordered you to do."

"And what would this be?"

He tells me. I listen carefully. It sounds odd, strange, fearful, but also probably successful.

"Sounds good. Let me hear more." I whisper to him.

"Only when join my army."

I think about this.

…..

It is better than drinking to death.

"I join."

He grins broadly.

"Splendid. You will not regret it."

**The End**

* * *

"Kung Fu Panda(c) DreamWorks Animation

I own nothing except for the written word.  
Characters you don't know are from me.

(It would be good to listen to the Terminator Title Music while reading the next lines)

Or not?6

Who9 read till now, I hope you enjoyed18 the story19 and thanks for reading20 it in the first place3. I hope15 that I not13 bored you5 with the story19.

Tried my best. So1 be gracious with me.

I thank16 also everyone who had used his/her18 valuable free time to write a5 review.

I would be17 happy about hints how I could do better21 in further stories.

From tomorrow5 on I am on vacation. So no internet connection12 for me for a while.

But like once a famous actor said: I'll be back.


End file.
